Dark Horizon
by Zexion77
Summary: Sequel to Destinies gone Awry. One year has pased since Luther was defeated. But now strange creatures are appearing in the galaxy. Fayt and his friends are soon dragged into a battle unlike any that they have been through before. SO3xKingdom Hearts II Cr
1. The Calm Before the Storm

Dark Horizon

By Zexion72

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean or the Kingdom Hearts series

* * *

Chapter 1: The Calm Before the Storm

* * *

On Klaus III...

Mirage watched over her students in the dojo. As she watched them, she smiled. Her students had learned a lot recently and they were applying it to their fighting styles better than she thought they would. If they kept up that level of progress they would become really strong in no time. Mirage clapped her hands together twice.

"All right everyone, take a short break. You all deserve it," said Mirage. Instead of bowing at the dojo's exit and leaving the children walked over to Mirage. "What is it?"

"Sensei Mirage, could you tell us what exactly happened in the Executioner incident last year?" Asked one of the children.

"Yeah, we heard very few details about it," said another child. Mirage smiled warmly.

"Sure, why not?" She said. Mirage cleared her throat and began to talk. "The Eternal Sphere, the true name of our Universe. Our universe had been created by beings from another dimension. We call them 4D beings. Our universe was nothing more than a simulator used for their personal entertainment. We were all nothing more than data in a large program. One day the 4D beings noticed that we had learned how to use symbology, the coding that was the foudations of the Eternal Sphere. They feared that we could use symbology against them. As a result, they created the Executioners. The Executioners were powerful creatures that some considered to be gods. Last year, the Executioners had finally been released into our galaxy. A scientist by the name of Dr. Leingod, an authority in Symbological Genetics found out what the 4D beings were planning and he decided to develop counter measures against the Executioners and the one leading them, the Creator. But as the pieces slowly started to fall into place something unexpected happened. Shortly before the Executioners were released, an upgrade in the Eternal Sphere was scheduled. A 4D being by the name of Alek Rothrock had been given the job to test this upgrade. In order to do this he had to enter the Eternal Sphere. Suddenly something went wrong and he ended up getting stuck in the Eternal Sphere. Soon Alex met, Cliff and Dr. Leingod's son Fayt. After a few days, Alex started to change. At first, he believed that we should be destroyed but slowly he had a change of heart. When the Executioners came at last he fought against them by our side. Despite the fact that the Creator was his own dear friend he continued to fight with us. In the final battle, After the Creator had fallen, Alex and the others were confronted by a man named Vox. He told Alex that Creator had been manipulated into making the Executioners by a mysterious group called Organization XIII. As the Creator died, Alex was filled with grief which soon turned to anger towards Vox. Before the Creator died, he started to delete our universe. As our universe was being deleted a strange seal appeared. Vox destroyed it and then fought with Alex. Shortly afterwards, Vox retreated and left Alex and the others to die. Our bodies may have been data, but our minds were not. Our minds still believed that our universe existed. Because of that believe, the universe and everyone in it were restored. With our universe sealed off from the 4D beings, we could live in peace and freedom." One of the children raised their hand, drawing Mirage's attention. "Yes?"

"What happened to Alex?" Asked the child.

"Unfortunately, he died when our universe was deleted. Since he wasn't part of our universe, he wasn't restored."

"Aww... poor guy."

"Do you know anything about that group Organization XIII? And what about that seal?" Asked another child. Mirage grinned, the curiosity of children never stopped amusing her.

"We don't know anything about Organization XIII or that seal. But apparently Vox had something to do with that group," said Mirage. Suddenly there was the sound of the phone ringing. "I'll get it." Mirage got up and walked over to the phone in the lobby. She picked it up and put it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hey Mirage, you sound like you are doing well," said a familiar voice on the other line. Mirage smiled as she recognized the voice.

"How are you, Cliff?"

"I'm doing fine. So how are things at the dojo?"

"Pretty good, the students are learning a lot and are making a lot of progress. If they keep this up they will become really strong in a short period of time." Cliff chuckled.

"That's, exactly what I wanted to hear."

"So how are things in the world of pollitics?"

"Same ol', same ol', things haven't changed one bit. The big wigs of the New Pangalactic Federation are as annoying as ever."

"Some things never change I guess." Cliff and Mirage started laughing.

"So have you heard anything from the others?"

"I heard from Maria last month, she said she is still being given a hard time by the New Pangalatic Federation."

"I knew that would happen, it's because of the powers the Dr. Leingod gave her. I tried convincing her into staying in the Klaus system but that girl is really stuborn."

"It's her choice, she wanted to find somewhere to live in peace. Besides, does her stuborness come as a surprise to you?"

"No, not really."

"There you go, so have you heard from anyone lately?"

"Other than a few former members of Quark, no."

"I see..."

"Well, I got to go. Talk to ya later, Mirage."

"Okay, be careful Cliff, I have heard rumors of strange ships coming out of nowhere and attacking people." Cliff sighed.

"Yeah I have heard that rumor too, it's spreading like wild fire. But you don't need to worry about me. I can take care of anything that is thrown at me."

"Right, just don't get cocky. Talk to you later, bye."

"Okay, bye." Cliff hung up and looked back up at the screen in front of him. "Alright, so where to now?" Suddenly an alarm went off. "What the hell?"

"Unidentified ship approaching," said the computer. Cliff knew that when a ship was unidentified it usually meant some form of trouble. But he knew that he couldn't jump to some conclusions. Maybe the person inside needs help.

"Display." A screen popped up with an image of the ship. "Wait, what the hell is that? I have never seen that kind of ship before." The ship was colored shades of light and darker blue. The body was round and on both sides of it were two cone like arms. On top of the body was a blue cone that looked like a thick antenna. On it's face was a strange symbol. The symbol was white and looked like an upside down heart with three spikes stick up forming a cross. Suddenly the tips of the arms started glowing. They shot off several blasts at Cliff's ship, each one of them was a direct hit. After the shock of the impact Cliff looked back up at the screen.

"What the hell was that for?" Cliff tried to open a channel so he could communicate with the pilot. There was a beep sound. "What the? No signal? How's that possible?" Cliff paused for a moment. "Could that thing... could that thing not be a ship but an actual creature? Wait... what am I saying? That bastard is going to pay!" Cliff typed in a command on the computer and two quantam torpedos fired off at the strange ship. Upon impact the ship exploded. "Ha! Teach you to attack people like that!" Suddenly an alarm system went off.

"Warning, damage to engines. Cruise to the nearest planet and contact officials for help," said the computer.

"That thing did THAT much damage? You've got to be kidding!" Cliff sighed. "Oh well, nothing I can do about it now. What planet is the closest?"

"Elicoor II."

"Why am I getting a sense of Deja Vu? Alright, Elicoor II it is. I'll contact Lancar when I get there." Cliff set a course for Elicoor II. He leaned back in his seat and let out a big sigh. "I guess all I have to do now is wait. Still... what was that thing anyway?" The incident with the mysterious ship bothered Cliff. He didn't believe those rumors at first but they were confirmed true right before his own eyes. But what were those things? They weren't ships but they weren't powerful demons like the Executioners. The best way Cliff could describe it was a ship that has a consciousness all of it's own. About an hour passed and Cliff finally reached Elicoor II. To prevent attraction attention, Cliff landed nearby Aquios. He got off the ship and walked into the city. Aquios had changed a bit, it was the same lively city that Cliff remembered it as. He took the time to walk around looking at the familiar places. Suddenly a certain woman with short red hair caught Cliff's attention. She was dressed in a light blue dress decorated with flower-like designs, it took Cliff a moment to recognize her since he had never seen her wear an outfit like this. "Hey Nel, how are ya?" Asked Cliff. Nel looked up from the table she was sitting at and her eyes widened in shock as she realized who was talking to her.

"Cliff? What are you doing here?" Asked Nel.

"Well, it's a bit of a long story. But anyway, it's good to see you again." Nel simply nodded.

"Likewise. Well, aren't you going to take a seat? I assume you came here for a reason." Cliff sat down in the seat on the other side of the table. He explained what had happened to his ship and how he ended up here. Nel seemed troubled by Cliff's story. "I see..."

"Is something wrong? You have a grave look on your face," said Cliff.

"The symbol that you described... it's exactly like the symbol that I saw on one of those creatures earlier..."

"You mean you have seen those creatures here on Elicoor II?"

"Yes, they have been appearing for a few weeks now but we don't know what to do about them. We can't predict their behavior. Sometimes they will be completely harmless, and sometimes they will attack. But that's the least of our problems."

"What else is wrong?"

"There are strange black creatures with yellow eyes. They pop up randomly and out of nowhere, usually they come out of shadows. They are always hostile, they will stab into someones chest and all of a sudden a glowing object shapped like a heart will appear. The creatures will run off and the person they attack disappears." Cliff's eyes widened in shock as he heard this. "Is something wrong, Cliff?"

"During one of my meetings last week, I heard that the federation lost contact with one of their ships. They dispatched another ship to investigate. They found the ship... however..." Cliff paused.

"Yes? What did they find?"

"The ship was completely intact, not a single scratch. However, there was no one onboard the ship. All the crew members, soldiers, everyone had vanished. There were weapons scattered all over the floor but there were no bodies, blood, or anything. The federation is completely baffled about this. So far that is the only reported incident, but the fact that similar things are happening on Elicoor II could mean that this is the sign of trouble in the near future for the entire galaxy."

"Could this perhaps be another attack from 4D space?" Suggested Nel. Cliff shook his head in disagreement.

"No, their universe was sealed off from ours. There is no way they could possibly be responsible for this." Cliff looked up at the sky. "What does all of this mean?"

* * *

Meanwhile on Earth...

* * *

It was near the crack of dawn. It was still dark outside and everyone in the neighborhood were still asleep. Fayt had just been woken up by his parents, they told him to get dressed and get ready to leave. Fayt muttered something about lack of sleep and walked into the bathroom. A minute or so later he came back out dressed. He went downstairs where his parents were waiting.

"Why do we have to wake up this early?" Groaned Fayt as if he was still half asleep. "Dad, don't you have off this week?" Fayt's mother sighed.

"You are full of questions this morning. Then again you wouldn't know since you were asleep when we got that call." Fayt gave his mother a confused look. It was unusual to get a call so early in the morning. The only time that ever happened was when the two genes that were in the lab on moonbase suddenly exploded about three months ago.

"What call?" Fayt's mother looked over at her husband. He simply nodded as if he understood.

"I'll explain," said Fayt's father. "We got a call from the New Pangalactic Federation HQ. They said that they..."

"Federation HQ?" Interrupted Fayt.

"If you'd let me finish..." Said Fayt's father, sounding a little annoyed. "Anyway as I was saying, they said that they need to see me right away. They also told me that I could bring my family as well. So I decided we could make a little vacation out of this." Now THIS was something to be concerned about. Odds are if the Federation needs to meet with Dr. Leingod, head authority in Symbological Genetics, something was wrong.

"What could they possibly want?" Asked Fayt. His father simply shrugged.

"They didn't say, the only way to find out is to go there."

"They have a private shuttle for us waiting over at the 48th district station. Let's go and get this over with," said Fayt's mother. As they started walking out of the door Fayt quickly looked over at his sword hanging on the wall. It hadn't been used since the final battle with Luther 1 year ago. He took it off of the wall and strapped it on his waste. It couldn't hurt to take it with him...

* * *

In the deep regions of space, Sophia's trip to Expel had ended and now it was time to go home. She went to the Space Port and waited for her flight to arrive. She would have called her parents to let them know that she was coming home but based on her watch it was early in the morning on earth, she would call them later. About ten minutes later there was an announcement that her flight had arrived. It would take about 4 days to get back to Earth and compared to some flights that isn't too long.

"_I wonder how Fayt, Uncle Robert, and Aunt Ryoko are doing," _said Sophia in her thoughts as she got onboard the ship. The inside of the ship was similar to the Helre only a lot bigger. After everyone had boarded, the ship left the port, left the atmosphere, and went into gravitic warp.

* * *

In another region of space Maria was flying a speeder shuttle while trying to escape from a Federation Ship. She brought up a screen to see that they were starting to gain on her.

"These guys don't know when to quit. This makes... the 10th attempt to capture me this month," said Maria with a tone of amusement in her voice. The Federation Ship started firing at Maria. "Now they are resorting to violence, they ARE getting desperate." Maria got an idea and she grinned. "Time to teach them a lesson." She slowed down her ship and the Federation Ship caught up to the point where it was above her ship. She used her powers to temporarily fuse the ships together and created a hole that she could go through. She pulled out her Quad Scanner and turned it on. "So the engine room is that way, alright." Maria quickly ran to the engine room.

She went inside and looked around. Maria realized that if she wanted to she could easily destroy the entire ship just by destroying everything in this room. But if she did that she would end up killing herself. So instead she pulled out some small switch-activated mines and attached them to various parts of the engines. Maria quickly returned to her ship, disconnected the fusion, and closed the holes. She then contacted the ship above her. On screen popped up the Captain of the ship. He had the dark beard and the officer outfit that all high ranking officials in the federation had.

"You..." Said the Captain.

"It will be a thousand years before you can capture me," said Maria.

"What? I'll show you!" Maria accelerated her ship and as she did she pressed the mine switches. Maria could hear an alarm go off in the background of the Federation Ship.

"The engines have been severely damaged! We can't move the ship!" Exclaimed one of the soldiers.

"Damn!" The Captain looked back over at Maria with a pissed of look. "You won't get away with this."

"Yes I will. See ya," said Maria. She cut the transmission and went into gravitic warp. The Captain of the Federation ship sighed.

"I can't believe she got away again."

"Captain, we are getting a transmission from HQ," said a nearby officer. The Captain knew what that meant. Admiral Hermes was going to ask for a report and he would have to tell them that they lost Maria again.

"Display." The screen popped up with Hermes on it. "Admiral. Unfortunately, Maria has gotten away again. Once we repair our engines we shall..."

"Do not worry about it Captain. I have hired someone who said that they would take care of Maria," said Admiral Hermes.

"What? Who is it?" The Admiral shook his head.

"I do not know. I never saw his face, he wore a black hood. At first I wasn't sure if I should trust him, but there was something about him that made me feel like he could get this job done with ease."

"He sounds very suspicious..."

"Yes, I am still unsure of this person but if they can take care of this for us I couldn't care less. It will get the government off our backs about it. Well I just thought that I should let you know. Over and out." The transmission ended. Back on Earth, Admiral Hermes recalled the events that had happened.

* * *

FLASHBACK

_Hermes had just gotten off the phone with one of the big wigs of the Federation. The Government was starting to get impatient with the military. They wanted Maria to be captured as soon as possible. What they didn't understand was that this girl had strange powers that helped her escape each time. Hermes began to think that this Maria girl was close to impossible to capture. Suddenly his phone started beeping and he picked it up. _

"_Hello?" _

"_This is the front desk. There is someone here to see you," said the secretary. _

"_Send them up." _

"_Right away." Within a few seconds the person was transported up. This person wore an all black outfit with a zipper in the center running from just below their neck to the very edge of the coat. On both sides of the zipper there were two lines of thread dangling down to the edge of their chest. On each end point was a beautifully carved bead. Overlapping the string and the zippers was a silver like chain necklace that hung from one end of the hood to the other. This person was wearing black gloves and strange black boots. His hood was up so Admiral Hermes couldn't see his face. _

"_Can I help you?" Asked Admiral Hermes. _

"_If I heard correctly you are trying to capture someone by the name of Maria, am I right?" Asked the man. _

"_Y-yes that's right. Why do you ask?" _

"_I am looking for this girl. If you want me to I could easily capture her and she will be in my custody." Admiral Hermes wasn't sure if he could trust this person. But he sensed something about this person. It was if he could sense that this person was capable of getting the job done. Admiral Hermes nodded. _

"_Alright, you may take this job. When you do capture her, contact me." The man nodded. _

"_Understood, I shall do so when I have captured Maria." Suddenly a cloud of dark energy appeared and surrounded the man. The cloud formed into a spinning oval and when it disappeared the man was long gone. _

END OF FLASHBACK

* * *

"I hope I have done the right thing in giving that man the job," said Admiral Hermes.

Meanwhile, Maria was continuing to fly with no destination in mind. She leaned back in her chair and sighed. "Why can't people just leave me alone? I may have super natural powers but I am a regular human being, aren't I?" Suddenly there was a warning signal. Maria got up and checked the screen. "What? I'm being pulled out of Gravitic Warp? How is that possible?" The Federation wasn't able to do these sort of things but then who could it be? When Maria arrived in conventional space she was ambushed by thousands of small ships. "What are those things?"

Maria had never seen anything like them beforeThey were all colorful and they came in different shapes and sizes. Some were bigger than others while some were small but dangerous looking. But each one had something in common, the strange symbol. The symbol was white and looked like an upside down heart with three spikes stick up forming a cross. Suddenly they all opened fire on Maria. Maria tried to dodge them but it was too much. Her ship was taking severe damage.

"This is really bad! I can't fight all of them." Maria looked around trying to find an opening where she could go into gravitic warp. But there wasn't an opening anywhere. They continued to fire at her ship but it didn't seem like they were trying to kill her, to Maria it seemed like they were sending her in a direction. "That's... Elicoor II!" Maria had no idea why these creatures were trying to send her to Elicoor II but it was better going there than staying with all of these things. She turned around and went straight through the opening that lead to Elicoor II. It was a rough landing but Maria made it in one piece. She looked around, she had landed nearby Peterny. She had her communicator so she could contact someone and ask for help. But Maria decided to go to Aquios first and talk to Nel, it had been awhile since she had seen her comrades that had fought alongside of her 1 year ago. Maria walked into Aquios and took a look around. It was the same lively town as she had remembered it was 1 year ago. She stopped as she saw two familiar faces.

"Cliff! Nel!" Said Maria as she walked over to them.

"Hey Maria, long time no see," said Nel.

"Never thought I would see you here," said Cliff.

"I could say the same to you Cliff. What are you doing here?" Asked Maria.

"I was attacked by these strange creatures that were like ships and I had to land her because of the damages on my ship." Maria's eyes widened in shock.

"Really? I was attacked too, they looked exactly like that."

"Coincidence, maybe?" Suggested Nel. Maria shook her head.

"That wasn't a coincidence. There is no way that so many of those things would just happen to appear." Cliff gave Maria a confused look.

"That many? How many attacked you? I was only ambushed by one."

"I was pulled out of Gravitic Warp and ambushed by thousands of them."

"What? Thousands? That couldn't be a coincidence. You are lucky to have survived that." Maria simply nodded. It didn't seem like those creatures were trying to kill her. More like they wanted to send her to Elicoor II. But Maria decided not to mention that.

"Strange things are happening up in space, as well as Elicoor II," said Nel.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Asked Maria as she turned her attention over to Nel.

"Apparently strange creatures have been popping up here," said Cliff.

"Tomorrow, Airyglyph and Aquios are going to discuss what to do in a conference. How about coming with me to that meeting? I am sure that your thoughts on this subject will help," added Nel. Cliff and Maria looked at each other and shrugged as if saying: why not?

"Sounds good to me," said Cliff.

"I don't have anything better to do," said Maria.

"So when and where does this conference take place?"

"It takes place tomorrow in the conference room inside the castle. The king of Airyglyph and his representatives will arrive tomorrow."

* * *

Meanwhile in a place far away...

* * *

Inside of the Mansion's Basement one person sat at a computer the other stood behind him. The man sitting at the computer had a black outfit with a red cape on his back. His face was covered by red bandages and all that could be seen of his face was his mouth and an amber-colored eye. The other man wore an all black outfit with a zipper in the center running from just below his neck to the very edge of the coat. On both sides of the zipper there were two lines of thread dangling down to the edge of his chest. On each end point was a beautifully carved bead. Overlapping the string and the zippers was a silver like chain necklace that hung from one end of the hood to the other. He was wearing black gloves and strange black boots.

"So the Organization has sat their plans into motion. We must make haste," said the man at the computer.

"Yes, we have to restore Sora as soon as possible," said the other man.

"It will take a few more days but soon he will awaken."

"And what of the other one?"

"He will take a little while longer. We can only hope that his heritage will not result in him joining with them. That is the last thing we need."

* * *

So who is the other one? Why was Fayt's Father summoned to the Federation HQ? What's the cause of Elicoor II's Problems?Find out in the next chapter. Anyway, please review. 


	2. The Conference

Author's note: Yay reviews! Thank you all! Well onto the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean or Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

Chapter 2: The Conference

Fayt and his Mother waited patiently outside of the meeting room. Fayt's Father had told them that he would explain what they talked about once the meeting had finished. So far it had been almost an hour. Finally, the door opened and Dr. Leingod and everyone else left the room.

"So what was that about, Robert?" Asked Fayt's Mother.

"Apparently they have picked up strange energy readings from Elicoor II," said Fayt's Father.

"Strange energy readings? But why did they call you here for that, Dad? And why would they care about Elicoor II? It is an underdeveloped planet," said Fayt.

"I was wondering about that myself. But then they said that a certain location there has been an increase of symbological energy. Since they knew I was an authority in this field they want me to go there and check it out." Fayt's Mother shook her head.

"It sounds more like they want to send you because the assume that if it's dangerous you will come up with a plan to stop it like last time," said Fayt's Mother. Fayt's Father grinned at his wife's comment.

"Yeah that's what I kind of figured."

"Well, a trip to Elicoor II doesn't sound so bad," said Fayt eagerly. It had been awhile since he had seen Nel and Albel and it would be good to see them again.

"This isn't going to be a little vacation. It's a bit too dangerous to call it that," said Fayt's Father gravely.

"What? Was there something else that they mentioned?"

"Yes. They said that strange creatures have been popping up on Elicoor II. Based on the rumors, they sound very dangerous. They also believe that these creatures are connected to the strange energy reading."

"Dad, did they mention where the location of the energy is?" Fayt's Father nodded.

"Yes, they used a remote camera and found that the source of the energy can be found in the mountains where there is a lava cave."

"The Urssa Lava caves?" Exclaimed Fayt as he recognized the area based on the description.

"You went there during your journeys, right?" Asked Fayt's Mother.

"Yeah, that's right."

"They said that they have a shuttle provided for us and it is ready to go to Elicoor II. So let's get going," said Fayt's Father.

"Alright let's go," said Fayt as he and his Mother sat up. They left the Federation HQ and headed to the Space port.

* * *

Meanwhile on Elicoor II...

* * *

Cliff and Maria walked into the conference room where Nel had told them to go. As they came in the saw yet another familiar face.

"Glad you could make it, fools," said Albel.

"Nice to see you too," said Cliff.

"I see you haven't changed a bit," said Maria. Cliff and Maria sat down in the two remaining chairs and the conference began.

"As you already know Romeria, strange things are happening in both our Kingdoms," said the King of Airyglyph.

"Yes Arzei, but do you have any idea why these things are happening?" Asked the Queen of Aquaria. The King shook his head.

"None what so ever."

"We do have a theory though," said Woltar.

"There is a place on our territory that the enemy is guarding in great numbers. We believe that whatever is causing these things to appear is the thing being guarded," said Albel.

"The enemy... you mean those strange white creatures, right?" Asked Lasselle.

"That's correct," said Woltar. Maria turned her attention over to Albel.

"So you have fought these things, Albel?" Asked Maria.

"Of course I have, fool," said Albel.

"And where is this place?" Asked the Queen.

"They have taken over the Urssa Lava Caves, along with the entire mountain region. It is impossible to go through there without getting attacked," said the King.

"The Urssa Lava Caves, huh? I wonder why Crosell hasn't done anything about this," said Cliff.

"Yes we have been wondering what has happened to the Marquis. It might have been defeated by those mysterious creatures," suggested Woltar.

"Romeria, have you noticed anything strange in your Kingdom?" Asked the King.

"Yes Arzei, we have seen strange creatures similar to the ones you described but they rarely appear here. But I wonder... why are they here?" Questioned the Queen.

"Based on their movements, it seems like they are looking for something. Which means that they might be taking orders from a higher power that controls them," said Albel.

"So what are we going to do?" Asked Nel.

"I was thinking of asking you for your help in the mission we have planned out," said the King.

"Mission?" Asked Cliff. The King nodded.

"Yes, we decided to assemble a squad of strong warriors. They will go into the Urssa Lava Caves and determine what is causing the creatures to appear." Cliff slammed his fists together and got a cocky look on his face.

"That's it? Man this will be easier than taking candy from a baby." Albel started chuckling.

"It's not that easy fool. Those creatures won't let you just waltz in and go to the thing they are guarding. They appear out of nowhere and usually in groups. Not only that, they are unpredictable and they all come in different shapes and sizes," said Albel. Suddenly a soldier ran into the room.

"Your Majesty, we've got a problem!" Exclaimed the soldier.

"What is it?" Asked the Queen.

"The chapel has been overrun with those strange creatures! There are so many of them!"

"What?" Exclaimed Lasselle. Cliff looked over at Maria.

"That's our cue, let's go!" Said Cliff.

"I'm with you, let's go take care of this," said Maria. Albel got out of his seat and looked over at Cliff and Maria.

"Don't even think about leaving me out of this. I wouldn't miss a fight for anything in the world," said Albel. Nel got up as well.

"I will come too. I'll show those creatures not to invade my home," said Nel. Cliff grinned and folded his arms.

"Alright, it will be almost like our journey one year ago," said Cliff. The four of them ran downstairs and into the chapel. Just like the soldier had said, strange creatures were all over the chapel. They were all white and on their sides were long grey lines that decorated the sides of their bodies including their claws. Based on their movement it looked like they were made out of elastic. The creatures had a gaping mouth and no eyes. On top of their heads was a strange white symbol. It was an upside down heart with three spikes sticking out at the top forming a cross. Cliff couldn't help but chuckle at the appearance of these strange creatures. "Heh, those things look so ridiculous it is hard to take them seriously."

"Don't be so cocky. Look at that," said Albel as he pointed at the edge of the altar. One of the creature's claws were bloody and underneath it was a dead priestess. "Let your guard down with these guys and you are as good as dead." Suddenly the creatures all looked in the direction of Cliff, Maria, Albel, and Nel. Maria looked up as she heard a strange voice. It said: "We have found you at last."

"Huh? Who said that?" Asked Maria.

"Said what?" Asked Nel. Maria shook her head.

"It's nothing, never mind."

"Enough talk already, fools. Let's get rid of these things," said Albel as he drew his sword. All the creatures started jumping/running towards Albel, Cliff, Maria, and Nel. As one jumped up towards Maria she shot it's head off. Cliff pounded the nearby creatures into a pulp. Albel cut through several of them with three strokes of his sword. Nel slashed any creature that got to close to her. After a minute or so of fighting all of the creatures had finally been defeated. "Bah, maggots," said Albel as he sheathed his sword.

"That takes care of that problem," said Cliff.

"Still, I wonder who could possibly be commanding these things," said Maria.

"You want to know? Then why don't you go and find out yourself?" Said a voice.

"Who's there?" Asked Cliff.

"Why should we tell you?" Asked another voice.

"Show yourselves maggots," said Albel.

"Maybe we should spare them the suspense and give them a few hints?" Suggested another voice.

"A brilliant idea. You can find us in the lava caves. That's all we will say..." Said the first voice.

"Will you make it through the caves? Or will you be ripped apart by the Nobodies? Or maybe the Heartless will get you? Either way this will be an entertaining game," said another voice. All of the voices started laughing and then there was silence.

"Who were they?" Asked Cliff.

"Beats me," said Maria.

"Heartless, Nobodies? Does anybody know what they are talking about?" Asked Nel.

"Your guess is as good as mine," said Cliff. The group left the chapel and headed to the Audience chamber where everyone else was waiting.

"I thank you for getting rid of those creatures. It disturbs me that they were able to invade a holy place like that," said the Queen.

"Don't mention it," said Cliff.

"Your Majesty, we must act fast and find a way to stop these creatures. Who knows what they will attack next?" Said Nel.

"Yes you're right, Lady Nel," said the Queen. The Queen looked over at the King. "At this point Arzei, I believe that your plan to get rid of this threat is the only hope we have."

"Then let's not waste any more time. Albel, guide your friends to the Urssa Lava Caves. This is our only chance of stopping these creatures," said the King. Albel quickly bowed.

"As you command," said Albel. Another soldier came running into the Audience Chamber.

"There has been another attack! Those creatures are causing chaos in the streets of the city!" Exclaimed the Soldier.

"Dammit, these creatures are relentless," hissed Lasselle. He looked over at the Queen. "Before we send Lady Nel and the others off on this mission, we must take care of this first."

"That is correct. We cannot let those creatures take control of our beloved city!" Said the Queen.

"Man it's one thing after another," complained Cliff.

"Come on guys, let's go!" Exclaimed Nel.

"Let's teach these guys a lesson," said Maria as they ran out of the audience chamber. The soldier that had run in had a grave look on their face.

"Is something else wrong?" Asked the Queen. The soldier nodded.

"Yes. I have some bad news," said the soldier.

* * *

Meanwhile Fayt and his parents had just landed nearby Aquios. They got off the ship and looked around.

"Everything looks normal," said Fayt.

"So which way is the Urssa Lava Caves?" Asked Fayt's Father.

"It's right this..." Fayt was cut off as two pillars of light appeared followed by two strange white creatures.

"What are they?" Asked Fayt's Mother with a tone of panic in her voice. Fayt drew his sword and got ready to fight.

"I don't know, but they don't look very friendly," said Fayt. He charged towards one of the creatures and slashed it in half. He ducked as the other tried to swipe at him with it's claws. Fayt countered it's other strike and then lopped the creature's head off. "Too easy," said Fayt . Suddenly a whole bunch of the same creatures popped up (at least twenty or maybe more). "I spoke too soon." But instead of fighting Fayt, the creatures started heading towards Aquios. "I have to stop those things!" Fayt looked back over at his parents. "The Urssa Lava Caves will have to wait for a minute. This needs to be taken care of first." Fayt's Mother shrugged.

"Do what you have to do," she said. Fayt's Father pulled out a phase gun.

"The Federation anticipated that we might get attacked so they gave me this," said Fayt's Father.

"I guess now is not the time to worry about the UP3," said Fayt as he let out a sigh.

"This planet has had so many encounters with foreign things that more infringements on the UP3 don't matter too much anymore."

"Good point." Fayt and his parents quickly ran over to the city of Aquios. They looked around to see that the creatures were already being fought by the military of Aquaria. Among the people fighting were four people that Fayt recognized instantly. "Cliff! Maria! Albel! Nel!" All four of them looked in the direction of the voice.

"Fayt?" Said all four of them almost exactly at the same time. They rushed over to their former comrade.

"What are you doing here?" Asked Cliff.

"I could ask you the same thing," said Fayt. The white creatures began to approach the group.

"We don't have time for talking right now," said Maria.

"Let's get rid of these guys first," said Nel. Maria took the initiative. She aimed her hand at a nearby tree and the leaves started flying off. They formed into Kunai knifes and started shooting down at random spots. This took out quite a few of the creatures. Albel slashed up several other creatures into shish kabob. Cliff pounded several other creatures into a pulp. Nel used symbology spells to destroy any enemy that was a little ways away. Fayt's Father helped out by shooting any creature that decided to try and attack him. Within a few minutes the battle had ended.

"That wasn't so hard," said Nel. Fayt looked back at Cliff and Maria.

"So what are you guys doing here?"

"Our ships happened to crash onto this planet when we were attacked by creatures in space similar to the ones that attacked just now," explained Cliff.

"What about you Fayt? What are you and your parents doing here?" Asked Maria.

"We were sent to investigate the strange energy that is coming from the Urssa Lava Caves. They said that it was giving off symbological energy," explained Fayt.

"That's right, we were about to go there when we noticed those things attack this city," said Fayt's Father as he and his wife approached the group.

"You were sent to investigate? Well what a coincidence, we were being sent on a mission to get rid of the energy source that is bringing these creatures to this planet," said Cliff.

"Then why don't we all go and solve this mystery together?" Suggested Fayt.

"Sounds good to me," said Nel. A soldier from the castle walked over to Nel. He whispered something into Nel's ear. "I see. Then we will head back right away," said Nel with a grave look on her face.

"What is it?" Asked Cliff.

"Apparently there is a problem. The Queen wants to see us right away."

"I've got a bad feeling about this," said Fayt's Mother. The group walked back into the castle and into the Audience Chamber.

"What is the problem Your Majesty? You said that there was bad news," said Nel as she bowed.

"I don't want to believe this has happened but I have no choice but to accept it. The Sacred Orb was stolen."

"WHAT?" Exclaimed Nel.

"Stolen? Do you have any idea who is behind it?" Asked Maria.

"We don't know. All they found was this," said Woltar as he pulled out a disc.

"That's a hologram video," said Fayt as he recognized it. Woltar handed it to Fayt.

"Perhaps this will help us identify the thief?"

"What kind of thief leaves a calling card?" Asked Albel who seemed amused at the thought. Fayt put the disc down and activated it. A screen popped up of the inside of the shrine of Kaddan. There was a man standing in the center of the screen. He had brownish blonde hair that was spiked up, making him look like some sort of rock star and he had green eyes. He wore an all black outfit with a zipper in the center running from just below his neck to the very edge of the coat. On both sides of the zipper there were two lines of thread dangling down to the edge of his chest. On each end point was a beautifully carved bead. Overlapping the string and the zippers was a silver like chain necklace that hung from one end of the hood to the other. This man was wearing black gloves and strange black boots.

"Is this thing on?" He asked as he looked around. Then he looked right at the center. "Oh yeah it is!" He cleared his throat and continued talking. "Since you guys are watching this, then that means that..." He held up the Sacred Orb in his hands.

"So he's the thief!" Exclaimed Nel.

"Shut up, fool," said Albel. The man in the video started throwing the orb in the air and catching it.

"What is wrong with you guys? Why are you leaving this unnaturally big pearl in a decrepit shrine like this? Do you even realize how much money you could make if you sold this thing?" Said the man as he went into a rant. "Anyway, if you are there watching this Maria why don't you and your friends come and get this orb thing back? I am sure you know where to find us. Please do pay us a visit, okay? Bye, bye." The man started waving and looked around. "At least they didn't pick the wrong guy this time around. This job was easier than taking candy from a little baby. But did he have to shout like that? Xemnas is such a..." The man stopped talking as he looked back at the screen. "Oh oops, I thought this thing turned off on it's own!" He walked closer to the screen and it went into static.

"What an utter buffoon," commented Albel.

"You got that right," said Cliff.

"Who was that guy anyway?" Asked Fayt. Maria looked like she was in deep thought. Fayt seemed to notice this. "You look like you have something to say."

"That man, he looks familiar somehow. How did he know my name?" Asked Maria.

"You mean you have seen this person before?" Asked Nel. Maria folded her arms and a puzzled look grew on her face.

"I don't remember but he seems very familiar along with those creatures."

"Let's not waste any more time. The sooner those creatures are gone, the better," said Albel.

"You're right, let's go," said Fayt. Fayt, his parents, Cliff, Maria, Nel, and Albel left the capital and headed to Airyglyph.

"You know, this is almost like 1 year ago," said Cliff as they were walking.

"Yeah all we need are Sophia, Peppita, bring Alex back from the dead, and it would be exactly like our previous journey," said Fayt.

* * *

So Fayt and his friends near Airyglyph, what will they find in the Urssa Lava Caves? Find out in the next chapter. Anyway, please review. 


	3. Organization XIII

Reviews! Yay! Thank you all! Before we move on to the next chapter I have a big announcement. In this chapter there will be a major plot twist and also a HUGE crack pairing will be revealed. Just thought I should warn you.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean or Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

Chapter 3: Organization XIII

In a place far away from Elicoor II, a man named Saïx stood on a balcony, looking at a heart shaped moon. He wore an all black outfit with a zipper in the center running from just below his neck to the very edge of the coat. On both sides of the zipper there were two lines of thread dangling down to the edge of his chest. On each end point was a beautifully carved bead. Overlapping the string and the zippers was a silver like chain necklace that hung from one end of the hood to the other. Saïx was wearing black gloves and strange black boots. He had long blue hair, yellow eyes, and an 'X' shaped scar across the bridge of his nose. Saïx was unable to sleep so he went out on a balcony to look up at the moon. It really wasn't a moon but Saïx didn't care, it was a good substitute since this world didn't have a moon. He turned around as he heard footsteps behind him. Behind him was a man with long silver, spiky hair that extended down on each side of his face. He had amber eyes and wore an outfit exactly like Saïx's.

"Xemnas," said Saïx as he acknowledged his superior.

"Can't sleep?" Asked Xemnas as he took a few steps forward. Saïx nodded and looked up at the moon. Xemnas didn't have to ask to figure out what was on his subordinate's mind. "Tomorrow is the day that you have been waiting for, isn't it?"

"Yes. I made a promise to Larxene and I am going to fulfil it."

"Then, you'd best tell the soon-to-be newcomer not to follow in her footsteps." A portal of darkness appeared and Xemnas walked into it. Saïx continued to look at the moon while no emotion showed on his face.

Back on Elicoor II, Fayt, his family, and his friends finally arrived at Kirlsa. They looked around and saw that the town was badly damaged.

"What happened here?" Asked Cliff.

"A battalion of those creatures came from the mountains and attacked. It happened so quickly. A few elite soldiers and I were in the town at the time and we destroyed the battalion," said Albel.

"That was when they first started appearing, right?" Asked Nel.

"Yeah. We were all caught off guard. Had we known they were coming they would never have gotten inside of the town to begin with."

"Did people evacuate? This place almost seems like a ghost town," said Maria.

"At first no one did. Most people just shrugged it off as just a simple attack from a group of creatures. And even if there were more the military would take care of them. But as we began our investigation something else happened."

"The little black creatures? I thought that was just a rumor," said Nel.

"It's not a simple little rumor fool, it's a fact."

"What happened?" Asked Fayt.

"Another type of creature started appearing. Unlike the white creatures these things were smaller and a lot more dangerous. Their stealth made them especially dangerous. They appeared at night and they quickly started attacking the city. But instead of causing damage to the buildings they went after people. They stabbed into their chests and pulled out an object shaped like a heart, then the person, most of the time, would disappear. Soon after the local soldiers noticed screams in the streets and they went to investigate. They fought and defeated all of these creatures that they could find."

"You said they disappeared must of the time? What happened to the bodies that didn't disappear?" Asked Fayt's Father.

"They turned into those white creatures."

"So after all these strange events, the towns people evacuated," concluded Nel.

"Yes, anyone who was still alive left," added Albel.

"Black creatures... you mean like those things?" Asked Fayt's Mother. Albel turned around to see several black creatures behind them. The creatures were really small, they had antennae and little claws. They started to slowly advance on the group.

"Yes, those are the creatures," said Albel. Suddenly all the creatures were cut in half and a heart drifted away from each one of them.

"Huh?" Asked Fayt.

"What just happened?" Asked Maria. A large, older man without a shirt stood in front of the group. He had grey hair and purple eyes. He sheathed his sword and folded his arms.

"Those freaks need to learn that they don't belong here," said the man.

"You... your Adray," said Nel. Adray grinned.

"Well if it isn't Nel, my little daughter's best friend," said Adray.

"Who is that?" Asked Fayt as he looked over at Nel.

"That is Adray, a swordsman of Aquaria. He is Clair's father," explained Nel.

"Really? This guy is Clair's father?" Said Cliff with a tone of surprise.

"What brings you here, Adray?" Asked Nel.

"I was visiting my daughter in Arias. It was about three days ago Clair and a group of soldiers decided to investigate the origins of the creatures that have been popping up for the past few weeks. She said that they would be back by night fall regardless if she had found anything or not. But its three days later and she hasn't come back yet. I got worried so I came here to find her," said Adray.

"Now that you mention it," said Nel as she remembered what had happened in Arias when they were going to Airyglyph.

* * *

FLASHBACK

"_It's been awhile since we were in Arias," said Fayt. _

"_Yeah, it's good to see that this town is getting back up on it's feet again," said Cliff. _

"_Yes, one of the first things we did after defeating Luther was restore Arias to the way it once was before the war with Airyglyph," said Nel. Nel looked around the town and then fixed her eyes on the mansion. "I am going to go say hi to Clair and find out what the current situation is. I will be right back." Nel left and walked into the mansion. She came back out a minute or so later with a concerned look on her face. _

"_What's up?" Asked Maria. _

"_One of my subordinates stationed here told me that Clair left town to investigate those creatures and she hasn't come back yet. Not only that, Tynave, Farleen, and a battalion of troops went with her. None of them have returned either." _

END OF FLASHBACK

* * *

"How many were in that battalion?" Asked Fayt.

"About 100 soldiers," said Nel.

"Perhaps those creatures got them," suggested Albel.

"I don't know, out of 103 people you think one would have lived to tell the tale. It's likely they are taking their time investigating," said Maria.

"I hope you are right," said Nel. Adray cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"Well it's getting pretty late. We should rest up for the night and we will go into the mountains tomorrow," said Adray.

"You're right. Let's get some sleep," said Cliff. The group went to the inn and fell asleep. They decided to have one person awake so that they could watch for any of the creatures. They would change it every two hours or so. First it was Cliff and then Maria. She looked at her clock to see she had only one more hour on guard duty.

"_Maria," _said a voice. Maria shot up and looked around.

"Who's there?" Asked Maria quietly. Suddenly she felt a hand grab her from behind. Two arms wrapped around her. One covered her mouth, the other had her in a headlock. She tried to struggle but before she could she was completely surrounded by darkness. When the darkness faded away Maria was in a different place. The area around her was all white. Below her feet was a large symbol exactly like the one on the white creatures. The ground formed a circle and around the edge were roman numeral numbers from 1 to 13. Next to each number was a large seat.

Maria shot around to see her kidnapper. It was a man with blue hair, yellow eyes, and a scar shaped like an 'X' across the bridge of his nose. He wore an all black outfit with a zipper in the center running from just below his neck to the very edge of the coat. On both sides of the zipper there were two lines of thread dangling down to the edge of his chest. On each end point was a beautifully carved bead. Overlapping the string and the zippers was a silver like chain necklace that hung from one end of the hood to the other. He was wearing black gloves and strange black boots.

"Who are you?" Demanded Maria.

"My how quickly you forget. Then again that was quite some time ago. I am Saïx," said the man.

"Oh come on, Saïx. You can't expect her to remember us that easily. She was only a few months old back then," said a voice. Maria looked up to see a man wearing an outfit exactly like Saïx's only he had his hood up. Maria took another look around to see that in several of the seats sat more people in the same outfit.

"Who are you people?" Asked Maria.

"We are Organization XIII," said the man at seat 1.

"Impressive Maria. We knew you could make it this far," said the man at seat 10.

"How do you know who I am? What do you want from me?" Demanded Maria as she started to get annoyed at the lack of answers.

"Right, I think we had better cut to the chase," said the man at seat 8.

"Where do we start? We have a lot to discuss," said the man at seat 3.

"Perhaps Saïx should start off," suggested the man at seat 1.

"An excellent idea," said the man at seat 2. Maria looked at Saïx.

"Then start talking," said Maria. Saïx chuckled and smirked.

"You are just like her. She always was blunt and to the point," said Saïx. Maria didn't say anything. "Right I'll get to the point. Maria, you are an orphan, am I right?"

"Yes, but how did you..."

"Do you know who your real parents are?"

"No. But why are you bringing this..."

"Your Mother was #12. Your Father is #7. Both of your parents are members of Organization XIII. Maria, your Father is standing right in front of you." Maria gave Saïx a look that said: 'I don't believe you'.

"Oh come on. Do you expect me to believe that you are my father? You need to get off whatever you have been smoking."

"I can hardly blame you for reacting like that. But here is the proof you need," said Saïx as he placed his hand on Maria's head. There was a blinding flash of light and Maria saw a vision before her. She saw Saïx talking to a woman with short blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore an outfit exactly like the one Saïx and the other members of Organization XIII wore. The woman was holding a small child.

"A girl... so you decided to keep the child instead of throwing her away," said Saïx.

"Of course! Now that she is born I might as well keep her." The woman gave Saïx a death glare. "And you are going to help me raise this child! It is partially your fault that this child even exists now!" Saïx nodded.

"It's true Larxene, I got careless. But don't forget that this is also your fault. Since I helped bring this child into existence I have no choice but to help you take care of her. By the way, have you thought of a name for her?" Larxene tapped the baby on the forehead and looked back up at Saïx.

"Hmm... I think I have a good name for her. It took me a little while but I decided. How about... Maria?"

"Maria... a very good name," said Saïx emotionlessly.

"I feel bad for Maria. She has an emotionless robot for a father."

"You are one to talk. We Nobodies can't feel anything." The vision faded away and Maria was back in the room with Organization XIII. Saïx removed his hand from Maria's forehead.

"My Mother, and my Father..." Maria looked at Saïx and then grabbed him in an embrace. He returned the hug and then he pushed Maria back so he could look at her.

"Listen to what I have to say. You and I, and everyone here. We are all Nobodies, those without hearts. We don't have anyone to be but we still exist. Without hearts we can't feel anything, only pretend. But we have a plan, one that will make us complete beings able to feel emotions once again. Your fellow people need your help. I need your help."

"What must I do?" Asked Maria.

"Listen carefully..."

* * *

Back on Elicoor II morning had come at last. Everyone started to wake up one by one. But soon they noticed one obvious thing: Maria was gone.

"Where could she have gone?" Asked Cliff.

"I don't know. Maybe she was kidnaped," said Nel.

"Maria? Kidnaped? I doubt that," said Fayt.

"In any case we should search around the town and see if we can find her," said Adray.

"Alright then we will meet back here shortly," said Cliff.

"Let's just go and find the fool," said Albel. They separated and looked around the town but no one found anything.

"So she isn't in town," said Fayt's Father.

"But where could she be?" Asked Fayt.

"Who cares? She can take care of herself. Let's just go up to the mountains already," said Albel.

"You're right. Let's go into the mountains." The group went through the mines and into the mountains. As they walked they noticed something strange.

"Hey, why haven't we seen any of those creatures yet. You'd think we would have been attacked a bunch of times by now," said Cliff.

"Hmm, this does seem rather odd. The entire mountain range is quiet," said Adray as he looked around.

"Too quiet," added Nel. The group walked through the Urssa Lava Caves until they reached the door that lead to Crosell's room.

"This must be it. I can't think of any other place that would be the source of the energy," said Cliff. Fayt's Father pulled out a device and held it in front of the door.

"Yes this has to be it. The energy readings are off the scale," said Fayt's Father.

"I sense it too. That and the other energy source," said Nel.

"Yeah I feel it too," said Adray.

"Other energy source?" Asked Fayt's Mother.

"That's right. But it is very familiar. This energy signature I am sensing is similar to Alex's, almost the exact same I might say," said Nel.

"But Alex is dead. How could there be an energy signature similar to his?" Asked Cliff.

"What does it matter? He is dead and that's that. Let's just go inside already," said Albel who seemed to be getting impatient.

"Okay, let's go," said Nel as she and Adray opened the two large double doors. As the group ran in they gasped and starred in shock at the sight before them. There were dead soldiers lying all over the place. It looked as if a battle had taken place here. At the front of the altar was Crosell but he was lying on the ground too, twitching.

"So this is what happened to the battalion," said Cliff. Albel bent down and looked at several of the soldiers.

"This wasn't a battle, it was more like a slaughter. They never stood a chance," said Albel.

"Who could do such a horrible thing?" Asked Fayt's Mother.

"Man those creatures deserve to be destroyed. They piss me off," said Cliff as he cracked his knuckles.

"I don't think that we can blame the creatures for this," said Albel.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Adray walked towards a few of the corpses and looked at them.

"All the wounds on these bodies were all caused by different things. Those creatures usually specialize in using their claws or whatever they have," said Adray. Nel looked around and then gasped as she saw something.

"Clair! Tynave! Farleen!" Everyone turned around to see an energy cage with Clair, Tynave, and Farleen trapped inside and someone else that Fayt never anticipated seeing on Elicoor II.

"SOPHIA!" Exclaimed Fayt.

"What is she doing here?" Asked Fayt's Father.

"Fayt! Uncle Robert! Aunt Ryoko!" Exclaimed Sophia. The group approached the cage.

"How did you get here?" Asked Fayt.

"I was heading home but then the ship was overrun by little black creatures. Then a man in a black outfit appeared out of nowhere, defeated the creatures, and then he kidnaped me!" Said Sophia. As Nel looked at Clair, Tynave, and Farleen she noticed that all three were injured.

"What happened here?" Asked Nel.

"We came here... during the investigation. Suddenly the doors shut behind us and a group of people in black outfits came. They first talked about summoning these things called Nobodies on us but then their leader told them to get some exercise. Next thing you know it they pull out weapons from out of nowhere and they attacked. Almost no one survived," explained Clair. Crosell slowly rose his head up.

"Those people... they are not ordinary. Never in all my years have I ever seen anything like them," said Crosell.

"Did you notice anything strange before they came?" Asked Cliff.

"Yes, those white creatures started coming out of the temple. I was able to handle any that came through the door but then their numbers started increasing and then those people came through. I fought with them and I was defeated."

"They came through the Urssa Cave Temple?" Asked Nel.

"Yes, that's right."

"What are they? There is no way that they are of this world," said Farleen.

"I agree. Whoever those people in black outfits are, they are monsters," said Nel.

"Well that wasn't very nice of you," said a sudden voice. Everyone turned around to see a man standing there. He wore an all black outfit with a zipper in the center running from just below his neck to the very edge of the coat. On both sides of the zipper there were two lines of thread dangling down to the edge of his chest. On each end point was a beautifully carved bead. Overlapping the string and the zippers was a silver like chain necklace that hung from one end of the hood to the other. He was wearing black gloves and strange black boots. He had long, silver, spiky hair and amber eyes. He rose his hands into the air and seven portals of darkness appeared. When they faded away there stood seven more people in outfits similar to the first man who appeared.

"Who are you?" Demanded Fayt.

"Perhaps we should introduce ourselves. We are Organization XIII, we command those creatures that have been attacking this worthless planet. We control the Nobodies," said the man with silver hair. "I am Xemnas, I am the Superior of Organization XIII." The man to the far left removed his hood. He had long black hair with patches of gray on the top. He had gold eyes and an eye patch covered the right eye. On his left cheek was a big scar.

"I'm Xigbar, no. 2 of Organization XIII," said the man. The person next to Xigbar removed their hood. He had long black hair that came down his back side in braids. He had blue eyes and pointy ears.

"Name's Xaldin, no. 3 of Organization XIII," said the man. The person next to Xaldin removed their hood. He had long blue hair, yellow eyes, and an 'X' shaped scar across the bridge of his nose.

"Saïx, no. 7 of Organization XIII," said Saïx. The person next to Saïx removed their hood. It was the person from the video.

"Demyx, no. 9 of Organi..."

"You are the thief! Give back the Sacred Orb!" Shouted Nel.

"That's really rude to interrupt people and it is especially rude to call people names," said Demyx who seemed annoyed that his moment in the spot light was being ruined. Xemnas nodded.

"Indeed it is," said Xemnas.

"I don't care! Give us back the Sacred..." Xemnas' right hand started crackling with light blue energy. He shot a blast of energy bolts at Nel, sending her flying into the air. She landed on the ground several feet away.

"Shut up, this is our show right now. Not yours," said Xemnas. He looked at the next hooded member. "Continue the introductions." The next member removed their hood. He had short blonde hair and a small beard, he also had blue eyes.

"I'm Luxord, no. 10 of Organization XIII," said the man with a strong accent of some sort. The next man removed his hood. Nel and Clair gasped when they saw him and Albel clenched his fists while holding down the urge to jump and attack.

"Vox, no. 11 of Organization XIII," said Vox.

"So you decided to show your face again," said Nel with a tone of venom.

"But of course. With that annoying brat Alex out of the way for now there is no one who can stop us." Vox looked over at the last member. "But wait till you see who is the last member. It will be a bit of a nasty shock for you." The last member removed their hood. Everyone gasped.

"That's not possible!" Exclaimed Fayt.

"I don't believe it! No way!" Said Cliff.

"Why? How?" Asked Fayt's Father.

"Traitor," said Albel.

"Maria, no. 12 of Organization XIII," said Maria.

"Why, Maria? Why did you join them?" Asked Fayt.

"That man, Saïx, he is my Father," said Maria.

"What?" Exclaimed Cliff.

"You were an orphan, that's right. I had forgotten," said Fayt's Father.

"I still can't believe it," said Adray.

"What do you want? Why are you here? Why did you capture Sophia?" Demanded Fayt. Xemnas and the other members started laughing.

"That's exactly why. We wanted to test your power, to see if you are a threat to us or not. You wouldn't cooperate unless we held someone dear to you hostage," said Xaldin.

"You bastard!" Exclaimed Fayt as he drew his weapon.

"Such anger, don't let it get to your head," said Xemnas.

"Shut up!" Everyone (except Fayt's parents) changed towards the members of Organization XIII.

"No! Don't do it! They are way too powerful!" Exclaimed Clair. As Fayt neared Xemnas he attempted to slash at him. Xemnas back flipped out of the way and his hand started crackling with light blue energy.

"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you will get," said Xemnas. Fayt looked over at Maria. She was fighting with Cliff and Albel at the same time.

"Maria! Why are you fighting against us?" Asked Fayt.

"Fayt, Organization XIII is my family and if any of you get in the way I won't be held responsible for what happens to you," said Maria. Fayt couldn't believe what he was hearing, Maria had changed so much. Almost as if she wasn't herself anymore.

"I don't want to believe that you said that," said Fayt.

"She is the least of your concerns right now!" Shouted Xemnas as he charged towards Fayt with a red energy sword in his hand. Fayt blocked the sword and then brought his sword down at Xemnas. Xemnas slid out of the way and then fired a blast of energy at Fayt. Fayt went flying back and Xemnas started running towards him at almost blinding speed. Fayt stabbed his sword into the ground and threw his legs towards Xemnas in the form of a kick. Xemnas got hit by the blow and flipped back. Fayt started charging towards Xemnas. Xemnas simply raised his hand up and a barrier of energy appeared, Fayt couldn't stop in time and he crashed right into it. Xemnas took that time to rush towards Fayt and as the barrier faded away Xemnas summoned two energy swords and started attacking Fayt with them. Each hit landed on Fayt, throwing him into a world of pain. Xemnas grabbed him and threw him to the ground. Fayt slid across the room and then slowly got up.

"So... strong..." Said Fayt. Xemnas' hands started glowing.

"This is the end," said Xemnas. He fired the blasts at Fayt and he was completely surrounded by the energy. Fayt rose up into the air and then Xemnas released him, causing him to fall to the ground far below. Fayt didn't get back up after he landed he could only barely move. "Fool, did you really think that you would stand a chance against me?" Xemnas summoned an energy sword.

"FAYT!" Shouted Fayt's father as he rushed towards Xemnas. Xemnas shot a blast of energy at Fayt's Father, causing him to fly back to where he was.

"Stay back," said Xemnas. He looked around to see that everyone else that was with Fayt had been defeated. They were all lying on the ground unable to get back up.

"Easy victory," said Luxord.

"So what shall we do with them?" Asked Xigbar.

"Summon a few heartless, let them take their hearts. Since they aren't a threat to us, then they will help us. They will be of use to us in our plan," said Xemnas. Saïx snapped his fingers and five shadow heartless appeared. Suddenly, all five of the heartless were killed.

"What happened?" Asked Vox. Xemnas looked around and then he glared.

"You..." He said. There was a man with shaggy brown hair that went down to his shoulders and had blue eyes. Across one of his eyes was a scar. He wore an Organization XIII outfit. In his right hand was a katana with the Nobody symbol on it. "Aldax..."

"Miss me?" Asked Aldax.

"You are supposed to be dead!" Exclaimed Xigbar.

"Well it seems like I am not dead."

"It seems like we have to do something about that!" Said Xaldin as he got ready to fight.

"Wait! We don't need to fight him. We have obtained everything we need. We should leave now. Besides, those weaklings aren't even worth our time," said Xemnas.

"Alright then, let's go," said Vox.

"Wait!" Shouted Nel. Xemnas turned around to look at her. "What are your objectives? Why did you take the Sacred Orb?"

"We seek to become complete beings. We will take any measure necessary to get what we want," said Xemnas.

"Yeah and we detected this pearl's power. So we confiscated it in the name of Organization XIII," said Demyx as he pulled out the Sacred Orb. Then the group disappeared, including Maria.

"Curaga," said Aldax as he held his hand and aimed it at Fayt and his friends. They started glowing and they were able to get back up.

"Thanks, but why are you helping us?" Asked Cliff.

"I have my reasons," commented Aldax with a grin plastered on his face.

"_That's something Alex used to say all of the time. But why does this man remind me so much of him?" _Asked Nel in her thoughts.

"Listen. Inside of that temple is a door to the universe that Organization XIII and those creatures known as Nobodies and Heartless are from. You need to go in there and find a way to seal the door. That is the only way to stop those creatures from entering your universe," said Aldax.

"But how do we seal this door?" Asked Cliff.

"There is a man inside that universe who can help you. Seek him out."

"What does he look like?" Asked Fayt.

"He wears an outfit exactly like the ones the members of Organization XIII wear. But it is covered by a brown cape."

"Track down this person, that shouldn't be too hard," said Adray. Aldax released the captives. Sophia ran over to Fayt and his parents and embraced them. Nel started treating the wounds on Tynave, Farleen, and Clair.

"Nel, we will head back to Aquios and tell Her Majesty what happened here," said Clair. She looked at the entrance to the temple. "In the meantime, you go in there and find Alex. Do whatever you have to do in that place."

"Alright, see you later," said Nel. Clair, Tynave, and Farleen walked out of Crosell's lair.

"I do not know what sort of dangers await in that other universe. But be careful. Organization XIII is not to be taken lightly," said Crosell.

"Don't worry we will be careful," said Fayt. "So why don't you come..." Began Fayt as he looked over at Aldax... only to not see him there. "Aldax? Where did he go?"

"Who knows? Maybe he went on ahead of us," said Adray.

"Let's go in there and find those Organization XIII bastards. They are going to pay for what they have done," said Albel. They opened the door and walked into the temple.

* * *

So what will they find on the other side of the universe? Find out in the next chapter of Dark Horizon. Anyway, please review. 


	4. Awakening

Thank you all who reviewed! This next chapter will start out with Fayt and his friends but then it will switch to another character. Who is it? You'll find out soon enough.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean or Kingdom Hearts, I also don't own Xenosaga.

Chapter 4: Awakening

* * *

Fayt and his friends walked through the passage way that lead to the Urssa Cave Temple. In the first room they looked around for any signs of those creatures.

"That's weird. I would have thought that we would have been attacked by a bunch of them by now," said Cliff.

"I thought so too," said Fayt.

"Since those Organization XIII guys seem to be able to control them, maybe they ordered them to stop attacking," suggested Sophia.

"Probably because they don't see us as a threat anymore," said Nel. Albel growled at the fact that he has been so easily defeated while Cliff slammed his fists together.

"Yeah those guys make my blood boil," said Cliff with a tone of anger in his voice.

"It bugs me how those maggots acted all high and mighty but we have another job to do. We have to seal that door so those annoying creatures can't come back," said Albel.

"He's right. Standing here and yapping about those Organization XIII people won't get us anywhere," said Adray.

"Good point, let's go," said Fayt. The group walked through the first room, deeper into the mysterious temple.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Old Mansion's Basement, one of the pods were glowing. Each pod looked like a white flower that hasn't blossomed yet. Inside one of them was a young man with shaggy brown hair. He wore the outfit that members of Organization XIII wear. Outside of the pod stood Aldax, looking at the young man.

"I see that the Genesis Circuit worked. It has begun..." Aldax closed his eyes and smiled. The pod slowly started to open. "I entrust my power to you, Alex." Aldax faded away as the young man slowly opened his eyes, revealing his deep sapphire eyes.

* * *

ALEX'S POV

I looked around in this new place I was in. It was all blueish and it looked somewhat futuristic. I looked down to see that I was standing in some sort of pod. I walked out and looked at myself. I wore an outfit that was similar to the outfit my father had worn in a vision I saw of him.

"_Where am I?" _I asked in my thoughts. _"Oh yeah, that's right. Luther deleted the Eternal Sphere, we were all deleted, including me. But how could I be alive right now if I was deleted?" _I focused hard but I couldn't remember anything beyond being deleted. _"Well there is no use staying here. I should probably have a look around." _I walked down the hallway and entered an empty, square shaped room. It was so quiet it seemed like no one lived here. In the next room was a large computer with multiple screens. All over the room were various projections and screens of various data. In the corner of the room were a set of stairs. I walked up them and I was lead to a room that looked like a library. At first the walls were blue like in the previous rooms but then it changed at the top of the next flight of stairs. Instead it was brownish and their were shelves of books all over the place. I walked out of the room which lead to a larger room which looked like the entrance to this place.

This entire Mansion was quiet, too quiet. It felt as if something would jump out at me the moment I made a single move. What's worse was that I didn't have a weapon so if I got attacked I would have a hard time fighting them off. I walked down the stairs and through the front door. Outside was a small courtyard with ruined pillars in a row. Ahead of that was two large walls and an opening where a metal gate would go. As I walked near the exit I saw someone standing in front of me. He wore a red cloak that covered a strange looking outfit. I couldn't see his face since it was covered in red cloth and two large black belts. There were two places that weren't covered. One of his eyes and his mouth.

"I have been waiting for Alex, son of Aldax," said the man.

"Who are you? How do you know who I am and who my father is?" I asked.

"Call me DiZ, it's a good a name as any. We have much to talk about. But first, let's go into town and find somewhere to sit." DiZ started walking towards the entrance of a forest and I followed him. We went through the forest and through a crack in a wall. On the other side of the wall was a lively town. I looked up at the sky and noticed that it was yellowing orange. The sun must be setting by now. DiZ lead me to a little store that had a huge popsicle on it's sign.

"An ice cream store?" I asked. DiZ started laughing.

"Not just any ice cream store, this place specializes in one particular kind of flavor. It is called sea-salt ice cream," said DiZ.

"Sea... Salt... ice cream? Are you serious?" I asked, rather surprised at the flavor. Not once in my entire life had I ever heard of this type of flavor.

"You have never had it before? Well there is a first time for everything," said DiZ as he handed me a bar of the mentioned ice cream. We sat down at a nearby table. I looked at the ice cream bar with a look of uncertainty. Then I put it in my mouth. The outside part of it was salty but then the inside was sweet like regular ice cream.

"Wow, this is really good," I said.

"This is indeed my favorite flavor," said DiZ as he took a bite from his.

"So you knew my father." DiZ lowered his ice cream bar and nodded.

"Yes. He was a very good friend of mine. I saw you once when your were just recently born. You probably wouldn't remember it."

"I see. But I still don't understand one thing: I was deleted, but I still exist and I ended up here in this town. Why is that? And what is the name of this place anyway?"

"Full of questions. But that doesn't surprise me. This place is known as Twilight Town. As for how you came here, that is something that I can't explain. But surely there is someone out there who can. I met an apparition of your father recently."

"You did? When?"

"Earlier today. He told me that when you awaken, I should tell you to take the purple train at the train station. You will meet someone by the name of Yen Sid, who will point you in the right direction." DiZ got up from his seat and looked down at me. "Well I have to go, I have a busy schedule to keep. Hopefully we will meet again, Alex." A portal of darkness appeared and DiZ walked through it. Then it disappeared.

"Man, did he have to throw me into this without much of an explanation?" I complained. I sat up and looked around. Hopefully the train station was nearby. I was about to start walking when I heard a voice behind me.

"Hey you," said the voice. I turned around to see three people behind me. The one in the center was a male teenager. He had blue eyes and blonde hair. Though most of it was covered by a black hat like thing that he was wearing. He wore a blue shirt that didn't fully cover his mid-drift, brown pants, black shoes, and a silvery white over coat. To his right was another male teenager. He had dark brown hair and brown eyes. He wore an orange sleeveless shirt, black pants, and shoes of multiple colors. On his neck was a silver pendant. The last person was a female teenager. She had short silver hair and red eyes. She wore a blue sleeveless jacket with short tan pants and light purple shoes.

"Yeah what is it?" I asked.

"You are new around here, right? What's your name?" Asked the guy in the center.

"I'm Alex. And who are you guys?"

"I'm Seifer."

"I'm Raijin. Or Rai for short, y'know." Said the guy to the right of Seifer.

"Fujin," said the girl quickly. Seifer took a step towards me.

"I am the head of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee. So don't cause any trouble or else..." Said Seifer.

"Seifer will beat you into the ground, y'know!" Said Raijin.

"Owned," said Fujin. The three of them started laughing.

"Hey, why don't you guys leave the new person alone?" Asked a voice. We all turned around to see a group of three more people. The first one was a male teenager with dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes. He wore a black shirt with pants that were in camouflage color. Over his shirt was a small light green jacket. The second one was another male teenager with black hair and hazel eyes. He wore a red shirt with tan sleeves and on the front it said 'Dog Street'. He also wore jeans and a bandanna. The last one was a female teenager with long brown hair and green eyes. She wore an orange shirt and light tan pants.

"Oh it's you lamers," said Seifer.

"You should mind your own business, y'know!" Said Raijin.

"Losers," said Fujin.

"Come on, let's go," said Seifer. He walked off and his two cronies followed him. I looked at the group that had just arrived on the scene.

"I hope they didn't cause you too much trouble," said the girl. I shook my head.

"Nah, they didn't do a thing. I'm Alex, who are you guys?" I asked.

"I'm Hayner," said the guy with the dirty blonde hair.

"I'm Pence," said the guy with black hair.

"And I'm Olette," said the girl.

"Do you guys know where the train station is?" I asked.

"You must be from somewhere else since you don't know where the train station is," said Hayner. Pence pointed towards the large clock tower.

"See that? That is where the train station is. Go towards it and you should eventually find the station," said Pence.

"Thanks," I said.

"See you around," said Olette.

"Well, see you guys later." I walked off, waved goodbye, and headed up towards the train station. I got there and looked around. _"Well there is the train,"_ I said in my thoughts as I saw the purple train that DiZ had told me about. I started to reach into my pocket. _"But without a ticket I can't... huh?" _In one of my pockets was a ticket. _"How on earth did that get there? Well whatever, it doesn't matter." _I boarded the train and the moment I did the doors shut and it started leaving. "Wait a minute, don't trains wait for more people to get on?" I looked through the window and then I noticed that the landscape had just changed. I could no longer see buildings but what looked like space. I looked out another window to see that I was heading to a chunk of land that had some sort of strangely shaped tower on it. The train arrived at the chunk of land and I got off. I walked over to the tower entrance and opened it.

"_So all I have to do is speak to this Yen Sid person. Pretty simple," _I said in my thoughts. I walked up the flight of stairs only to end up at another flight of stairs. Suddenly two black creatures popped up from the ground. "So much for it being simple." Now here was the problem, I didn't have a weapon. "Go away!" I said as I threw my hand out to my right. Suddenly I felt something materialize in my hand. I looked at my hand and saw a katana with a strange white symbol on the side of the blade. I shrugged. "Well whatever, it doesn't matter." I charged towards the little creatures and slashed both of them in half with my new found weapon. Suddenly another one of these creatures appeared. This one was slightly bigger, it wore a helmet and had an all blue body and it had red claws. On it's chest was a black heart with a red 'X' shape in the middle of it. It started running towards me in a clumsy manner. The creature threw jumped up into the air and started spinning towards me. I blocked it's kicks and then I slashed upwards with my sword, slashing it in half. I looked over my new found weapon. "Wow this thing is pretty good. But it doesn't feel like a normal sword, it seems to have a strange power deep inside of it."

I continued to walk up the stairs and walked through the door. The next area was a circular room. As I walked into the center of the room I was suddenly surrounded by a bunch of those creatures. I started waving my sword around in the form of a taunt.

"Bring it on! Now that I have a weapon I can't destroy all of you!" I waved my left hand around and then suddenly a huge explosion shot up from the ground under a group of the creatures. "HOLY SHIT! What was that?" I looked at my hand. "Did I do that?" I held out my left hand and another explosion appeared just in front of my hand. "Sweet, now I have this really cool power too!" I raised my hand up and another blast appeared. I charged towards any remaining enemies and destroyed them with my sword. I walked through the door and up the next set of stairs. After traversing more stairs and circular rooms in a pattern that seemed redundant I finally reached a room that was different from the others. I somehow dismissed my weapon and looked around.

Inside was an old man dressed in blue robes and on top of his head was a pointy hat with stars and moons on it. He was sitting at the desk in the center of the room.

"You've come at last, Alex," said the old man.

"By any chance are you Yen Sid?" I asked as I walked over to the desk. He nodded.

"Yes, I am."

"According to DiZ, my Father said that you would point me in the right direction. So what is this direction I have to go in?"

"Before that there are some other things that have to be explained. I am sure that you saw those little black creatures in this tower, didn't you?"

"Yeah. What about them?"

"Those things are called Heartless. They are the embodiment of darkness. They lack hearts so they prey upon all beings that have hearts. If a person loses their heart to the Heartless then most of the time they become Heartless too," explained Yen Sid.

"Heartless, huh? So if those people become Heartless most of the time what happens the rest of the time?"

"On rare occasions, the heartless will take the heart of a person with a strong heart and will. Instead of becoming a heartless they will become something different. A Nobody." A hologram popped up showing a white creature almost as big as me. On it's forehead was the symbol that was on my new found katana. "Unlike heartless, Nobody's can think and act on their own. They know how to plan, how to think, and they follow the stronger Nobodies. But the most powerful and the most dangerous type of Nobody are the really rare ones. These powerful Nobodies created a group known as Organization XIII. Unlike other Nobodies they have kept their human form." Another hologram popped up. This one was of a person who wore the exact same outfit that I was wearing. " Nobodies remember what it was like to have hearts so they can pretend to have them, do not be fooled."

"That outfit is exactly the same as the one I wear, that my father wore, that Vox wore. Does that mean that..." Yen Sid nodded.

"Yes. Your father, Aldax, was a Nobody. However, he never fully joined Organization XIII, he just supported their ideals." I shook my head in denial.

"But how could that be? My father was a program writer in the Sphere Company."

"That was just a cover up to hide any suspicious activity. For reasons that I do not know Aldax was sent to your world and while he was there he met your Mother. That is how you came to be."

"Then that means that I am a Nobody too. But how can that be? I can feel emotions." I wasn't sure how to take this new news. I was only half human? I felt like I was wandering around in the dark.

"Yes, you are unique. Normally if a Nobody was to have a child with a human, the child would not have a heart at all. Yet you, have a heart."

"But why would Organization XIII send Aldax there? What are their goals anyway?" I asked.

"I do not know the answer to either of those questions. But in any case there are those who are fighting against the Heartless and the Nobodies." Three more holograms appeared. One was of a young teenager who was at least 15 years old. He had spiky brown hair and blue eyes. He wore an outfit that I could never possibly describe other than it being very strange looking. The one to his right was some sort of dog looking thing with a silly face. The last one was a duck. "These three are Sora, Donald, and Goofy. They have just begun their journey." Yen Sid looked back over at me. "Your mission, Alex, is to find them and accompany them through their journeys. It goes without saying that they will probably need your help." I wasn't sure why my father would want me to do this but I stood in place like a soldier and saluted.

"Very well then. I will find these three and help them out," I said.

"But before you go, it would serve you well to visit the three good fairies in the next room." I shrugged.

"Alright, it couldn't hurt."

"Once you have spoken to them, come back here." I nodded and walked through the next door. Inside the next room were the three fairies. Each Fairy wore the same outfit but in a different color. Red, Blue, and Green, they also looked a little bit different.

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, what are we going to do?" Asked the Blue Fairy.

"Maleficent has returned! What can we possibly do?" Asked the Green Fairy.

"We will just have to hope that she doesn't cause too much trouble," said the Red Fairy.

"Who is Maleficent?" I asked out of curiosity. All three of the fairies jumped up and looked over at me.

"Oh it's you!" Exclaimed the Blue Fairy.

"We have been waiting for you, Alex," said the Red Fairy.

"Who are you three?" I asked.

"We are the three fairies. I'm Fauna," said the Green Fairy.

"I am Flora," said the Red Fairy.

"I'm Merryweather," said the Blue Fairy.

"We were told to give you a cloak you can put over the outfit you are wearing," said Flora.

"With Organization XIII causing trouble, we wouldn't want you to be mistaken for one of them," said Merryweather.

"Yeah," I said.

"But first we should do something about that unruly hair of yours," said Fauna.

"Yes it doesn't look good at all," said Flora. They waved their magic wands and all of a sudden a chair appeared from below me and shot up, ending up with me sitting on it. Then a cloth wrapped around my neck, and then a bunch of floating pairs of scissors appeared. They started flying towards me and started cutting my hair. Less than ten seconds later everything disappeared. And my hair was really short.

"Much better," said Merryweather.

"Now for the finishing touch," said Flora as she waved her wand again. A red cloak appeared on me. It all of my body down to a little bit past my waste.

"No that won't do. It needs to be green," said Fauna. She waved her wand and it changed into green.

"That won't do. It should be blue," said Merryweather. My cloak went blue.

"Now, now, dears. It should be red," said Flora. My cloak went red.

"Green!" My cloak went green.

"Blue!" My cloak went blue. It kept on going back and forth, my cloak was changing colors rapidly. My face looked as if I was saying: What in the hell? After several minutes of this constant bickering and my magical multi colored cloak I finally snapped.

"Could you please decide?" I asked.

"Alright then. All three at once," said Flora. They all waved their wands and my cloak changed into a brown color.

"That's good. Thanks for the help," I said.

"Don't mention it," said Flora.

"We are glad to help," said Fauna.

"Go find Sora and his friends," said Merryweather. I left the room and walked over to Yen Sid who was waiting at the window for me. Outside of the window was a ship of some sort.

"This is your ship. It will help you get around," said Yen Sid.

"Thanks for the help!" I said.

"Anytime, now go find Sora and his friends."

"Will do!" I climbed through the window and into the ship. It was pretty simple set up. I accelerated and went through the atmosphere of this planet. Whatever was beyond this planet I was ready for it. I looked at my reflecting in the wind shield and noticed something different about myself. My scar was gone and my face looked a little younger. It was as if I was 17 years old once again. "Wait a minute, how is this possible? Why am I younger and why is my scar gone?" I asked.

"_It's because your original body was not your real one," _said a familiar voice. I looked to my left to see a small girl with a white dress on. She had long orange hair and blue eyes. I recognized her instantly.

"Nephilim?" I asked.

"_Your body from before you were deleted was not your real body. It was a fake one made by your father. This is your real body, it has been sleeping ever since that incident," _said Nephilim.

"What incident? Why did my father put me in a alternate body? How did he do that anyway?" I asked.

"_That is something I cannot talk to you about yet. This is not the place. Soon we will be able to talk about this and other important things as well. It is for your sake, as well as the sake of who exist in this universe." _Nephilim vanished.

"She hasn't changed a bit I see. Wonder what she meant by that." I continued flying through space towards my destination... where ever that was.

* * *

So Alex begins his journey... where will he land first? Find out in the next chapter. Man, it is a pain writing out 'Merryweather' by the way. Err... never mind me. Anyway, please review. 


	5. The Many Worlds

Thank you all who reviewed! Here's the next chapter, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean, or Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

Chapter 5: The many worlds.

Fayt and Company finally arrived at the last room in the Urssa Cave Temple. Behind the reflecting pool was a large double door. It was covered in carvings and text. On each side of the door was a heart. It wasn't like the door was sticking out of the wall, it was part of the wall itself. The door was partially open. Nel walked over to one of the sides of the door and read the inscription.

"Four Keys to seal the door. One that walks in the light, one that ventured in the darkness, one who walks the path to dawn, and he who walks between light and dark," recited Nel.

"What could that mean?" Asked Sophia.

"Who knows? It might have something to do with how to seal this door off for good," said Fayt.

"It could be. We could ask someone beyond this door what it means. Maybe they will know," suggested Cliff.

"It's the only option we have," said Fayt's Father. Fayt walked up to the door and opened it more so that they could walk through. They walked through the blinding light and suddenly they ended up in Twilight Town.

"I was not expecting the world on the other side to look like this," commented Nel.

"I wasn't either," said Albel.

"It reminds me of when we went to Arkives," said Sophia.

"So we have to locate this guy in the brown cloak, right?" Asked Adray.

"Yeah, and the best way to start is looking around this town." The group started walking around the town.

"What is this? New comer's parade?" Asked a voice. The group turned around to see Seifer standing there with his buddies.

"They're weird looking, y' know!" Said Raijin.

"Freaks," said Fujin.

"Who are you calling a freak?" Asked Cliff.

"That would be you," said Seifer. Seifer and his gang started laughing.

"Why you..." Fayt put a hand on Cliff's shoulder.

"Let it go. We don't have time for this," said Fayt.

"Your right."

"What brings you here anyway?" Asked Seifer.

"We are looking for someone," answered Sophia.

"Someone, huh? Well good luck with that, Twilight Town is huge," said Seifer as he and his buddies walked off.

* * *

ALEX'S POV

I had found a world nearby Twilight Town. Since it was closest I figured that I should go there first. I landed, got out of the ship, and began looking for Sora and his friends. This place was a town of some sort. Further in the town was some sort of castle that looked like it was being reconstructed.

"Wow, what is this place?" I asked. All of these worlds seemed so unique to me. Never in any of the time that I spent in the Eternal Sphere or my world had I ever seen places like this. Whatever region of space I was in, it was truly a wonder. I started walking around and trying to find leads that would help me find Sora. I walked along the street in the next area and then suddenly several Heartless appeared. "You've got to be kidding me! They're here too?" I summoned my katana. I jumped do the side as one Heartless attempted to slash at me. I counterattacked by slashing it in half with my katana. Several Heartless started running towards me. I jumped into the air and back flipped resulting in me being behind the group. I kicked the Heartless in the back sending it flying at the nearby door. The door opened and an old man with a long silverish beard looked outside. He wore a light blue robe and a hat that was the exact same color.

"Yes, what do you..." The old man stopped as he noticed the Heartless. "Confounded Heartless!" The old man looked back into the house. "Leon! We've got another Heartless problem!" I aimed my hand at a nearby Heartless and a huge explosion appeared underneath it. As one heartless jumped into the air with it's claws ready to cut through my flesh I blocked it and then stabbed it through the chest. The last Heartless rushed towards me. I blocked it's claws, hit it with the handle of my katana, and then cut it's head off. I looked back to see the door burst open. Out came a man with somewhat long brown hair and blue eyes. He wore a small leather jacket along with leather pants and a white T-Shirt. He wielded a weapon that looked like a cross between a sword and a gun. He looked around but didn't see any Heartless.

"Merlin, there aren't any Heartless," said the man. The old man shook his head.

"There were a few seconds ago before this kid here destroyed them," said Merlin.

"This guy?" Asked the man as he looked over at me.

"That's right. And not only did he wield a sword well, but also he knows how to use advanced magic spells like Flare. I have never seen anything like it."

"Well, you certainly aren't the average local then. Who are you?"

"I'm Alex. And you are?" I said.

"Call me Leon." He looked over at the Old Man. "This is Merlin." A girl walked out of the open door and looked at me. She had black hair and black eyes.

"Hey guys, who's he?" Asked the Girl.

"He is the one who took care of the heartless just now," explained Leon.

"Oh well that's cool." She looked over at me again. "And who are you?"

"I'm Alex. And you're?"

"I'm the Yuffie the great!" Exclaimed the girl as she looked like she was about to bounce off the walls.

"Don't mind her, she is always on a sugar rush," whispered Leon to me.

"I heard that LEON!" Exclaimed Yuffie.

"It's the plain an simple truth! One bar of ice cream too many," said another voice inside the house.

"Aren't you guys going to invite this guy in?" Asked a female voice.

"Right. Why don't you come inside?" Asked Merlin.

"Sure, why not?" I said. I walked inside and looked around. The place was a mess, simply put. There were piles of books and in one corner of the room was a computer of some sort. Inside was a girl with brown hair and green eyes and a man with blonde hair and blue eyes. The girl walked towards me.

"Hi, I'm Aerith and this is Cid," said the woman.

"Howdy. And who are you?" Asked Cid.

"I'm Alex, it's nice to meet all of you," I said.

"So what brings you here?" Asked Leon as he closed the door.

"I'm looking for three individuals. I was ordered to accompany them on their journey," I explained.

"Who are these three?" Asked Aeirth.

"I'm looking for Sora, Donald, and Goofy."

"Oh so you are looking for them, huh?" Said Merlin.

"Do you know them?"

"Sure do, they are friends of ours!" Said Yuffie.

"They were here, but you just missed them. They left not to long ago," said Leon.

"So close yet so far," I said with a sigh.

"Sorry," said Aerith.

"It's not your fault. I'll just travel to some other worlds and look for them." I walked over to the door. "See you guys later."

"Bye," said Yuffie.

"Take care of yourself," said Cid.

"Be careful out there," warned Aerith.

"Take caution out there. Not only do heartless roam about the streets but so do Nobodies," said Leon.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful," I said as I closed the door. I continued to walk along the street and up the stairs. "So they aren't here. But more importantly, why are they Nobodies running around? Could it be related to whatever Organization XIII is planning?"

"Maybe it is," said a sudden voice. I jumped up into the air and started looking around for the voice.

"Why bother looking for Sora?" Asked another voice.

"You have more important things to worry about," said the first voice. Suddenly 8 portals of darkness appeared and there stood members of Organization XIII.

"Organization XIII..." I said.

"You are one of us. How about you put aside your Father's wishes and join us?" Suggested the member in the center.

"So what if I am one of you? I have no interest in joining your little group." One of the members folded their arms.

"Really now, I don't recall you being so stubborn." This one member in particular brought me to attention. It wasn't what they said, it was their voice. It seemed so familiar somehow.

"Whatever, I have a mission and I am sticking to it," I said. They all started laughing. "What's so funny?"

"I think you misunderstand the situation, kid," said one of the members.

"This isn't a suggestion. This is a command," said the center member.

"You are so full of it! I don't take orders from you!" I exclaimed as I started to get annoyed.

"You don't have a choice in this matter," said the member with the familiar voice.

"You will come with us, even if we have to drag you off while you are half dead," said another familiar voice. This member took several steps closer to me. Then they removed their hood. I knew that sooner or later I would encounter him. But I didn't know it would be so soon. I clenched my fists.

"Vox..." I said with a tone of venom in my voice. He smirked.

"I see you haven't forgotten me."

"After what you did, I never will forget you."

"Ooooh, Luther's dead. Too bad, so sad," said the member with a familiar voice. I turned my attention to them.

"I dare you to say that again," I snarled. This member walked past the others and closer towards me.

"Gladly. Maybe it will knock some sense into you. Don't pretend to have a heart, Alex. Because you can't fool a fellow Nobody."

"Who the hell do you think you are? You talk as if I knew you. Well the reality is that I..." I stopped talking as they removed their hood. My mouth gapped open with shock. I had never anticipated seeing this. "No... it's not possible." It was Maria standing there before me. One of my own friends had become an enemy.

"Took you long enough. Then again, you never were the brightest light bulb," said Maria.

"Why Maria? Why did you join Organization XIII?" I demanded.

"I found my parents. My father is a member of Organization XIII." I didn't say anything. "Your father was a Nobody too. Why don't you accept the facts and join us?"

"NO! I refuse! I will join Sora and destroy you!" I summoned my sword. The members started laughing.

"Very well, play this little game of yours. Hopefully soon you will come to your senses and realize that you belong with us," said the man in the center. Then all of the members disappeared. I stood there lost in thought, all of this time Maria was a Nobody? I recovered from the shock and headed back to my gummi ship. I had to find Sora, Donald and Goofy.

Unfortunately it seemed as if they were always one step ahead of me. Whenever I went to a world, they had just left. I had met many people during my travels. People like Mulan, Mushu, Beast, Belle, Hercules, Meg, and Phil. But at one world in particular...

I had just landed at a town nearby the beach. It was a small peaceful town. Very quiet too. In the distance beyond this town was a small island. This place seemed so peaceful, it was as if there weren't any problems at all here in this place. I stood and looked out at the ocean from the beach.

"Who are you?" Asked a voice. I turned around to see a girl with somewhat long red hair and blue eyes. She wore a pink outfit of some sort. She walked over to where I was standing.

"I am Alex. I have been traveling the stars for quite some time now. I happened to came here so I decided to look at the sea for awhile. So who are you?"

"I'm Kairi. This is the town where I live. So what's it like traveling from world to world?"

"Can't really say, I just started. But so far it's been fun. I have gotten to see many places and meet many people."

"Why are you going from world to world? Are you looking for some one?" I nodded.

"You could say that. I was told to find someone. It's all I have to go by since my body was restored. I don't have anywhere to go and I have no idea what is going on." Kairi gave me a confused look.

"What happened? Were you wounded in some sort of battle?" I shook my head.

"No. There is a story behind this..." I told Kairi a quick summary of how I had met Fayt and the others and how my body was deleted. To my surprise, Kairi seemed to follow the story pretty well without getting confused. I thought that the concept of a computer program world would confuse someone who hadn't seen something like that.

"What a sad story. So what happened after that?" I folded my arms and started thinking.

"Well all I can remember is that I woke up in this strange mansion and then next thing you know it I am told to go find this kid by the name of Sora and accompany him on his.."

"Sora?" Asked Kairi as her eyes widened.

"Yeah, Sora. Why do you ask?"

"Sora is the name of a friend of mine. He promised that he would come back one day." Said Kairi as she got a distant look on her face. She looked over at me. "Hey, when you do find him, could you tell him that I am waiting for him?"

"Sure thing," I said. "Well I have got to get going. I will let Sora know that you are waiting for him," I said. I walked over to my Gummi Ship and I launched off back into space. Soon I landed in the next world. I was inside some sort of hangar. It was dark for some reason and it felt like something was wrong. I walked up the set of stairs and opened the door. I was inside a courtyard of some sort. There were green plants shaped like people of some sort. It was a peaceful looking castle... excluding the fact that there were Heartless all over the place. I summoned my sword and looked around.

"I have no idea what is going on here, but I had better investigate," I said. I charged down one side of the courtyard slashing through any Heartless that was in the way. I didn't bother to go after all of them. I had to cut down the ones that were in the way and break through them. Finally I came to a door. I opened it and went up the set of stairs. Beyond that was another corridor. After slashing through some more heartless I made it to a large door. I opened the small side door on it and walked into the next room.

The next room was massive. It was a large throne room but the throne was somewhat off center and there was a set of stairs that went down. I walked down the stairs and through the door. The next room was very dark and covered in thorns. There was a white door with a white frame around it. In the center of the room was a massive sphere. The sphere was emitting light. Standing before this sphere was Merlin, a small creature in a dress, and two small chipmunks. They turned around as they heard my footsteps.

"Well I didn't expect to see you here, Alex," said Merlin.

"Oh, so you are Alex. The king had told me about you. He said you were on a mission to find Sora," said the creature in a dress.

"Yeah that's right. So who are you?" I asked.

"I am Queen Minnie. This is my castle," she said.

"Well then, Your Majesty, have you seen Sora, Donald, and Goofy anywhere?" Minnie nodded.

"Yeah. They are in there," said Queen Minnie as she pointed at the strange door.

"Why don't you go lend them a hand?" Suggested Merlin.

"Okay, but what are they doing in there anyway?" I asked.

"They are in the past, trying to save this castle from being taken over by the darkness. In order to do this they have to protect this thing, the Cornerstone of Light," said Merlin as he pointed to the sphere.

"If something were to happen to the Cornerstone of Light, this world would be devoured by the darkness," said Queen Minnie.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I won't let that happen," I said. Queen Minnie smiled.

"Thank you." I walked over to the door and was about to open it.

"Beware Alex! The nature of that world may tempt you to do something dark. You must resist that temptation," warned Merlin.

"Um, thanks for the advice," I said. I opened the door and walked through it. I fell to the ground in this new world and the door slammed shut. I looked around and already I noticed that this world WAS different. "What the? This place is all black and white? And why is there the sound of a camera of some sort rolling? Well whatever." I walked around in this strange new world. There were a set of four windows. As I approached them a large creature of some sort ran over to me. It was a cat like creature that wore overalls with a single strap. He wore a hat on his head as well.

"Hey you. Have you seen a Steamboat around here?" Asked the creature.

"A steam what?" I asked.

"You know, it's a boat."

"I just got here so no I haven't. So who are you?"

"I'm Captain Pete of the Steamboat. I'm trying to find the guy what stole my boat!"

"Oh well if I see anyone with a Steamboat I will let you know."

"Thanks I appreciate that." He walked off in one direction. I continued to walk over to the four windows. As I approached one it suddenly opened and three people shot out of it and landed on me.

"Ouch," I grunted.

"Oh sorry," said a goofy sounding voice. The people on top of me got off and looked down at their 'cushion'. There was a strange dog creature, a duck, and a guy with spiky hair.

"Hey you. Are you Alex by any chance?" Asked the duck.

"Yeah, that's right. How did you know?" I asked.

"Master Yen Sid told us about you. He said we should seek you out because you were going to help us out," said the dog creature. I jumped up as I heard Yen Sid's name.

"Then does that mean that you guys are... Sora, Donald, and Goofy?" I asked.

"Yeah, that's us," said Sora.

"Finally, it took forever to find you guys. I went from world to world and you guys had just left," I said.

"Sorry about that. We are on a quest so we didn't have time to sit and wait for you. We just figured we would meet you at one of the worlds we visited," said Sora.

"Ah, it's alright. Merlin told me what you guys were doing here. So how are we going to save this Cornerstone of Light?" I asked.

"Look!" Exclaimed Donald. We looked over to see a creature that looked a lot like Captain Pete.

"Now that Castle's as good as ours," said the creature. He ran off to the next area.

"That's the Pete we know," said Sora.

"His name is Pete? I just met someone in this world with the exact same name," I said.

"Oh no!" Exclaimed Goofy. We all turned around to see that the Cornerstone of Light was gone.

"The Cornerstone of Light! It's gone!" Exclaimed Sora.

"But that means..." Started Donald.

"They're gonna fill the castle with darkness! We gotta hurry!" Finished Goofy. Captain Pete ran by us in the same direction that the other Pete had gone.

"Hold it right there!" Shouted Sora.

"No way, small fry. I finally found the pipsqueak what stole my boat," said Captain Pete.

"Yeah, it was you!" Exclaimed Donald.

"You mean the guy who looks like him," I said.

"Yeah, he looks like me!" Exclaimed Captain Pete. Captain Pete turned around and ran through the gate to the next area.

"Let's follow him. We can't let anything happen to the Cornerstone!" Said Sora.

"Right behind you!" I said as the four of us ran to the next area. In the next area was the stream and a strange looking boat. Attached to the boat was a cage with the Cornerstone of Light in it.

"Waaaait!" Exclaimed Captain Pete.

"Shuddup!" Said the other Pete. He pushed the Captain away. "Your future's on the line pallie, so back off and give me the boat!" Pete slugged Captain Pete and jumped onto the cage. Slowly the ship started to move downstream.

"After him!" Shouted Sora. We chased after the boat and caught up with it.

"Later, losers!" Taunted Pete. Sora looked over at me.

"I hope you have a weapon," said Sora.

"Not to worry," I said as I summoned my katana. Sora summoned something that looked like a large key. "What's that you are holding?"

"It's called the Keyblade," said Goofy.

"I see, interesting. I have never seen a weapon like that before," I said.

"Quit ignoring me!" Shouted Pete as he jumped up and down. Pete through a huge metal tin at Sora. He hit it back with his Keyblade and it hit Pete. Pete was knocked over by the tin and the ship slowly drifted closer to us. Just as we were about to charge at the cage and break it open a group of Heartless appeared.

"Heartless!" Exclaimed Donald.

"I'll hold them off. You go and break open that cage!" I said.

"Alright, let's go!" Said Sora. The three of them charged over to the cage. I looked around at the Heartless. There were strange orange, flying ones and ones that looked like bombs. I slashed a nearby flying heartless in half. I ducked as one swooped at me and kicked one of the bombs away from me. I used a Flare spell on one of the bombs and it exploded. As a result it caused the other bombs to explode and it took out several more Heartless. I turned around to see that a group of bombs were waddling towards Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

"Oh no you don't!" I shouted as I ran towards the Heartless. "TAKE THIS!" I shouted as I unleashed a series of rapid slashes onto the Heartless. It took out quite a few of them. "And for a follow up..." I unleashed a semi circular slash and took out the remaining heartless. I looked up to see that Sora, Donald, and Goofy had succeeded in breaking the cage. Pete had fallen into the water.

"You'll pay for this!" Exclaimed Pete. He climbed out of the water and ran to the next area.

"The Cornerstone!" Said Donald.

"Donald, we'll come back for it later!" Exclaimed Sora.

"Pete's headin' for the doorway!" Said Goofy.

"It's time to teach him a lesson," I said. We quickly ran to the next area to see the two Pete's fighting. It's a good thing they don't look exactly alike otherwise I would be really confused. Finally Captain Pete was knocked back from a punch.

"You are still wet behind the ears!" Exclaimed Pete.

"Try us then!" Said Sora.

"Yeah, what he said!" I said. I got pushed over by Captain Pete as he got back up and was ready to fight. I grunted and got up, Donald and Goofy had been knocked down as well. We rushed towards Pete with our weapons ready. I slashed at Pete but he got out of the way. Sora managed to hit Pete, so did Donald, Goofy, and Captain Pete. I attacked again, this time with the handle of my sword. Then I spun around and hit Pete with a kick. Pete threw a bunch of ping pong balls at us. They hurt but it didn't really have any effect.

"Is that all you got?" Asked Sora. Pete grinned. "Huh?" Suddenly all the little ping pong balls started exploding.

"Whoa, exploding ping pong balls! That's a new one on me!" I exclaimed as I jumped back trying to avoid the explosions.

"That's it! You are going down!" Said Sora. He looked over at Goofy. "Ready?"

"Ready when you are," said Goofy. Suddenly Sora was covered in strange light. As the light faded away Goofy was gone and Sora stood with two Keyblades in his hands. Both hands were crackling with red energy. Sora charged towards Pete and unleashed a fury of attacks with his two Keyblades. It was so fast that I could barely keep up with it. Within a matter of seconds Pete was defeated. Sora went back to normal and Goofy appeared.

"It serves ya right!" Said Captain Pete. Pete grunted as he got up. He aimed his hand up at the air and all of a sudden a door appeared, one similar to the one that was in the castle. He walked through the door.

"It's the door!" Said Donald. He looked over at Sora. "You know what to do." Sora nodded and aimed his Keyblade at the door. A keyhole appeared and then a laser shot out of Sora's Keyblade and into the keyhole. The door then disappeared.

"Who was that creep anyways?" Asked Captain Pete.

"Hello? That's you from..." Sora was cut off as Goofy grabbed him around the mouth.

"Sora, that's a secret!" Goofy whispered.

"Secret? What kinda secret? Oh, never mind. Sorry I put you guys through all that trouble."

"Just don't make a habit out of it," said Donald. Sora and Goofy started laughing. That other Pete has probably caused trouble for Sora and his friends before. Least that's what I figured.

"And to show you my appreciation, I'll let you pilot my Steamboat. Best little craft on the river. My deck hand Mickey's late anyway," said Captain Pete.

"Sweet, thanks," I said. We got on the Steamboat and the ship started sailing down the river towards the Cornerstone Hill. As Sora was navigating the boat I walked over to where he was standing. "You know, you are pretty skilled at fighting."

"Thanks, but you did a pretty good job holding off those Heartless back there," said Sora.

"Hey thanks. I was afraid that I was going to be a burden since I haven't quite gotten used to my new found powers yet," I said.

"So I take it you are a relatively new Organization XIII member then?" Asked Goofy. I shook my head.

"No, I'm not a member of Organization XIII. Just a half breed," I simply said.

"Half breed?" Asked Donald. I nodded and folded my arms.

"Yeah, I'm half Nobody and half Human."

"Half? How's that possible?" Asked Sora.

"My Mother was a human, my Father was a Nobody. He wasn't a member of Organization XIII either. He just supported them."

"So why are you going against Organization XIII?" Asked Goofy.

"It's because of what that group is responsible for. I lost something very dear to me thanks to them," I said sadly.

"What did they do?" Asked Sora.

"They..."

"Hey! We've made it to Cornerstone Hill!" Exclaimed Captain Pete.

"Good," said Sora. He looked over at me. "Come on, let's go. You can tell us about it later."

"Alright," I said. As we walked out of the Steamboat, thoughts of him came to my mind. I clenched my fist as the memories returned. _"Luther..." _We unloaded the Cornerstone of Light and moved it back to where it belonged.

"I bet the castle is safe now," said Goofy.

"Guess we should head back," said Sora.

"As long as we are here..." Started Donald. Sora, Goofy, and I all had a good idea of what Donald had planned.

"NO!" We all said at the same time. I walked over to the door and opened it. Sora and Goofy dragged Donald over to it. They threw him in and then we walked through the door. We arrived to see that all the thorns were gone and that the room was much brighter now.

"Thank you so much for all you have done," said Queen Minnie.

"Now boys, I hope you didn't do anything reckless while you were in there?" Asked Merlin.

"Of course not!" Said Donald. Sora, Goofy, and I started chuckling. Donald turned around to face the door. Out of curiosity I turned around as well. There was a female duck with a dress on standing in the entrance of the room.

"Daisy! I'm back!" Said Donald as he walked over to the female duck.

"Who's that?" Asked Sora as he looked over at Goofy.

"That's Daisy. Donald's girlfriend," explained Goofy.

"Really?"

"Seems to be the case," I said as Daisy started chewing Donald off about forgetting about their date. Donald looked over at us for help. "Sorry man, can't help you here!" Sora just put his hands behind his head. Donald gave us a look that said: 'Oh thanks a lot'. He then looked at the door and snickered.

"Donald!" Said Merlin.

"I'll be back in a minute," said Donald as he started to walk over to the door.

"Going somewhere?" Demanded Daisy as she grabbed Donald's tail.

"No," said Donald. He got out of Daisy's grip and she stumbled over.

"Donald!" Daisy started chasing Donald around the room, resulting in an amusing sight.

"Oh, look!" Said Queen Minnie. I look over to see that Sora's Keyblade is glowing along with the Cornerstone of Light. Suddenly a huge crown appeared under Sora and a bunch of energy waves started shooting all over the place. I covered my eyes as it got really bright. When I opened them again we were in a strange void like place. The Cornerstone shot a beam at the wall and a huge keyhole appeared. Sora aimed the Keyblade at the Keyhole and a laser went through it. Then it disappeared and everything went back to normal.

"Daisy. We'll need to borrow Donald for a little longer," said Sora as he looked over at Daisy.

"How MUCH longer?" Demanded Daisy in a sudden outburst.

"Don't worry Daisy, I'll be back soon," said Donald. Daisy smiled.

"We will come home soon, Queen Minnie," said Goofy as he saluted.

"Please tell the King we are still looking for him," said Sora.

"I will!" Said Queen Minnie.

"So, you are coming with us right?" Asked Sora as he looked over at me.

"Yeah, I am. It was what I was ordered to do anyway," I said.

"Well then, welcome aboard," said Sora.

"Good to have you with us," said Goofy.

"Don't cause any trouble like those other Nobodies," said Donald.

"Donald!" Exclaimed Sora. I laughed.

"No it's alright. I won't cause any trouble," I said.

"Then let's go!" We walked out of the castle and headed back to the Gummi Ship.

* * *

And so Alex's journey with Sora, Donald, and Goofy begins. What will they find along their journey? Find out in the next chapter. In the meantime, please review. 


	6. Never Trust A Pirate

Thank you all who reviewed the previous chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean or Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

Chapter 6: Never trust a pirate

We got onboard the Gummi ship and were flying towards our next destination. I looked over at Sora as I remembered to tell him something.

"Sora," I said.

"Yeah?" Asked Sora as he looked over at me.

"While looking for you I happened to stumble upon your home world. I met Kairi and she told me, to tell you that she is still waiting for you." Sora smiled.

"I knew she would be. I will come back someday."

"Look, it's the next world," said Goofy. We all looked over to see the new world. It had a big ship on the top, a fortress at the bottom and a skull in the center with two swords behind it. I had gotten used to these strange looking worlds by now so this wasn't too much of a surprise. We landed in this new world. It didn't take long to notice that this place was different. It had a different feel from all of the other world we had visited.

"This place is..." Started Sora.

"Kinda different," finished Goofy. We looked around at this strange new world. We were on a fortress of some sort. There were canons all aimed at the open ocean.

"What is this place anyway?" Asked Donald.

"It looks like some sort of base. Maybe a military base set up in a group of islands," I said. Suddenly we heard screams. I looked over the edge of the wall to see a nearby town on this island as well.

"Organization XIII?" Asked Goofy.

"Or the Heartless?" Suggested Donald.

"Only one way to find out," said Sora.

"Yup," I said. We ran down the ramp towards the town. There we saw a group of people and Pete.

"Hey!" Shouted Sora.

"Those are the punks I was telling ya about," said Pete as he looked over at the group of people.

"It's Sora, Alex, Donald, and Goofy to you! Don't forget it!" Said Sora.

"That we won't. And we'll engrave it on your tombstone to be sure," said one of the men.

"Whoa, I like your style," said Pete.

"That's a little creepy. Who are you people anyway?" I asked.

"You don't know? We are pirates," said the man. I had no idea that pirates actually existed, I thought they were just characters you find in story books.

"And I presume that you are the Captain," I concluded.

"Aye. The name's Barbossa." He looked at his men. "Men, half of you stay here and indulge these cullies. The rest, bring me that medallion!"

"Aye!" Shouted the crew. Some of them ran off while a few of them stayed to fight us.

"Aw, we only get to pound on a few of you?" Said Sora. Sora, Donald, and Goofy pulled out their weapons. Barbossa grinned and laughed for some strange reason.

"Let's see how much you are laughing when your men are dead!" I shouted as I summoned my sword. I charged towards one of the pirates and stabbed them through the gut. I pulled out my sword and slashed them several more times. Then I jumped back as I noticed something was wrong. "Wait a minute." The pirate was still standing.

"What's going on here? How can he still be standing?" Asked Donald.

"Aye, what did you expect?" Asked one of the pirates. I looked up at the sky to see the moon slowly appear from behind the clouds. I looked back at the pirates and gasped. They were skeletons with tattered clothing and eyes. How could they survive like that?

"What the?" Asked Sora.

"That's not natural," I said.

"Kinda creepy," said Goofy.

"Hey, watch out! They can see you! Stay away from their magic," warned Pete.

"Hey thanks for the tip," said Sora. Pete jumped up as he realized he had just helped us out.

"Alright, let's try this again," I said. I aimed my hand at the pirate I had attacked and I used a flare spell. The pirate was blown to smithereens.

"Well that works," said Donald. The rest of the pirates charged towards us. We fought against them using our weapons and magic and we were able to defeat them. Pete glared at us.

"This ain't over yet!" Said Pete as he stormed off.

"If Pete's here, that must mean we have work to do," said Sora.

"That Captain looked pretty mean too," said Goofy.

"It would be bad if he turned into a heartless."

"That's why we are here," said Donald.

"Maybe we could take a pirate ship out for a spin!" Said Sora with a grin on his face.

"Sounds like fun," I said smiling. Donald and Goofy looked at us like we were crazy.

"Just kidding," said Sora. I nodded. "Those pirates went into town right?"

"Yeah, I think they are looking for treasure," said Goofy.

"Let's go and stop them before they hurt anyone," I said.

"Good idea, let's get moving," said Donald. We headed into town to stop the pirates. But we found more than just pirates in the town. As we turned a corner we saw a man confronted by Heartless.

"What are these things?" Asked the man.

"It's the Heartless!" Said Donald.

"We will take care of them! You take cover!" Said Sora. The man nodded and headed for cover. We pulled out our weapons and got ready to fight the Heartless. Sora slashed through a Heartless, Donald unleashed magic spells upon Heartless, Goofy smacked Heartless around and I cut through any nearby Heartless and used Flare Spells every now and then. It didn't take long for us to finish them off. The man came back.

"Well done! You are all skilled fighters I see," said the man.

"You really think we are that good?" Asked Sora.

"So did you find your friend?" Asked Goofy. The man shook his head.

"I was too late. I have to rescue her, will you help me?"

"Of course we will. I'm Sora, this is Donald, Goofy, and Alex," said Sora as he introduced us.

"And I am William Turner, but call me Will," said the man.

"Alright Will, let's go."

"We've got to get to the docks!" We ran off towards the dock where we had just been. But as we arrived we saw a ship sailing off into the distance.

"We're too late," said Will.

"Huh?" Asked Sora.

"Those pirates kidnaped Miss Swan and took her to their ship. Now that they have sailed off I will never be able to find her," said Will as he looked down at the ground in despair.

"Then she is long gone. The Black Pearl is nigh uncatchable. Best find yourself another girl, mate," said a nearby voice. We looked over to see a guy dressed in an outfit similar to the style of clothing that Will was wearing.

"What are you doing aboard the Interceptor, Jack?" Asked Will.

"That's CAPTAIN Jack," said the man. He looked back at the ship he was on. "She will make a fine pirate ship."

"A pirate," said Sora.

"Captain Jack Sparrow," said Jack as he bowed.

"Take me with you. Help me hunt down the Black Pearl and rescue Miss Swan. I got you out of that Jail Cell, Jack. Do this and your debt is repaid," said Will. Jack looked back at Will.

"You'll have to win fair lady's heart alone, mate. I see no profit in it for me."

"Are you sure you can sail her, all on your own?" Asked Will. Jack looked back at the ship and then looked over at us again.

"You've a point there." We walked up the plank and onto the Interceptor.

"Thanks, Sparrow," said Will.

"CAPTAIN Sparrow," corrected Jack.

"I'm Sora," said Sora. Jack looked over at him. "This is Alex, Donald, and Goofy."

"I'm Will Turner," said Will.

"That be short for William I imagine," said Jack as he turned his attention over to Will. Jack walked off the ship. "I've got some effects to liberate. I'll be right back." Jack walked off and came back a few minutes later.

"Do you really want to be a pirate Sora?" Asked Goofy.

"No, not really," said Sora.

"Doesn't sound like that great of a job either. Pirates usually aren't looked kindly upon," I said.

"Well that's obvious. They steal stuff," said Donald.

"So what do you make of this Will?" Asked Jack.

"I don't know. We just met him," said Sora.

"I think my luck is about to change," said Jack with a smile.

"Why's that?" I asked.

"Ah, never mind mate," said Jack as he walked away.

"_Sounds like he is hiding something," _I said in my thoughts. Jack looked back at us.

"Goofy and Will, raise the anchor!" Commanded Jack. They walked over to the anchor. "Donald, Sora, and Alex. Lower the sails!" We grabbed the ropes binding the sails and untied them. Soon the ship started to sail away from the port.

"This is my first time on a ship like this," I said as I looked out at the ocean.

"Reminds me of when we went to Neverland during our last journey," said Goofy.

"Only this feels different from that," said Sora. There really wasn't much to do except stand around and watch the ocean. "Hey Alex." I looked over at Sora.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"I was wondering, are the members of Organization XIII as strong as you?"

"I... don't know. I have never fought against a member of Organization XIII. But I imagine that I may have to someday."

"So you don't know anything about them?" Asked Donald. I shook my head.

"I'm sorry."

"Well, you aren't one of them so that's why you don't know anything about them," said Goofy.

I looked out at the ocean again. I looked over at Jack to see that his eyes were fixed on some sort of small box that was open.

"Why is Jack so fixed on that thing?" I asked as I walked over to where Will was standing.

"It's his compass. But it doesn't point north," said Will.

"What? Then how could it be useful of it doesn't point north?"

"We aren't trying to find North," said Jack. We looked over at him. "This will lead to Isla de Muerta, where Barbossa's headed, savvy?"

"How do you know?" Asked Sora as he walked over to where we were standing.

"He and I once had our eyes on a treasure, Aztec gold. It was hidden on Isla de Muerta. But Barbossa turned traitor and stole my ship," said Jack bitterly as he closed his compass and put it away.

"So he is after the treasure."

"No, the treasure is already his. Along with the curse that was upon it. I have no desire for dangerous spoils."

"A curse, huh?" Said Donald.

"Is that what caused those pirates to be all creepy lookin?" Asked Goofy.

"Aye, that's right," said Jack. He looked back out at the ocean. "But I will have back what's mine, the Black Pearl." We finally arrived at Isla de Muerta and docked the ship. The local area was all rocky and looked rather foreboding. Not sure what Isla de Muerta means, but it seems to fit this chunk of rock perfectly. Jack looked back at Sora, Donald, Goofy, and I. "You lads wait here. Young Turner and I will go rescue the lady."

"What about us?" Asked Sora.

"You're to guard the ship, o'course. It's a task given only to the bravest of pirates."

"All right," said Sora.

"Guard her well," said Jack. Will and Jack left and headed off towards the cave. Sora sighed.

"I think he was trying to fast talk us."

"And you fell for it," said Donald.

"Well someone has to guard the ship and make sure nothing happens to her. We'd be in trouble if we couldn't get off this island," I said.

"Well you've got a good point I guess." We just stood around waiting for them to get back.

"What's taking them so long?" Asked Sora.

"They sure are taking their time," said Goofy.

"Maybe they ran into some Heartless," said Donald.

"Perhaps. Plus with that Pete guy running around they might have ran into some trouble," I said.

"Jack and Will aren't used to fighting Heartless. Let's go check up on them," said Sora. We left the Interceptor and headed into the cave. Just as we had barely gotten in we saw Will running out with a girl in a golden dress and light brown hair. Not to far behind them was a group of pirates.

"Quick, they're after us!" Exclaimed Will.

"We'll hold them off! Give us a sign when the ship is ready to sail," said Sora as he summoned his Keyblade. Donald, Goofy, and I pulled out our weapons too. We charged towards the pirates and we started fighting them. After awhile the signal fire was lit. "The Signal!" Exclaimed Sora. We saw another group of pirates rushing towards us. I looked over to my right to see a box of explosives. I looked back at Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

"Get ready to run," I said as I aimed a flare spell at the box of explosives. The explosion knocked the pirates off their feet and we ran to the Interceptor. We got onboard and met up with Will and his female friend.

"Hey where is Jack?" Asked Sora.

"Well..." Started Will. He told us how he had knocked Jack out and then ran off with his friend. "I had to. Jack's no fairy-tale pirate. The real ones aren't to be to be trusted."

"I see," I said. I looked over at Will's friend. "And you are?"

"I'm Elizabeth Swan. Who are you four?"

"I'm Sora, this is Alex, Donald, and Goofy," said Sora.

"Let's get back to Port Royal quickly," said Will. The ship started sailing towards Port Royal. Everything was going fine, until...

"Will, look!" Exclaimed Elizabeth as she pointed out into the distance. We all rushed over to see what she was pointing at. The Black Pearl was gaining on us.

"What now?" Asked Donald.

"What would Jack do?" Asked Sora.

"I guess he would run for it," said Will.

"Probably."

"Yeah I'm not interested in picking a fight with a bunch of curse pirates. I'm up for getting out of here," I said. Suddenly the Black Pearl started firing at us. The shots hit and we lost our balance. Will tripped and fell off the edge.

"Will!" Exclaimed Elizabeth. There was the sound of another cannon being fired.

"Everyone hit the deck!" Exclaimed Goofy. We all ducked or dove for the ground just in time to avoid the shot. We all slowly got up.

"We are just going to have to fight," said Sora.

"It's the only choice we've got," I said. By now the Black Pearl was right next to our ship. Pirates were already jumping over to our ship. I looked over at Sora. "I'll handle returning cannon fire. You and the others fight off the pirates that manage to get onboard." Sora nodded and summoned his keyblade.

"Got it. We'll take care of them." I picked up a cannon ball from the stack next to the cannon. I put the ball inside and lit the fuse. It shot off towards the Black Pearl. A pirate swung from the Black Pearl towards me. I jumped to the side and cut the rope. The pirate fell to the ground and I snapped my fingers. A flare spell popped up right beneath the pirate. I lit a cannon again and fired it at the Black Pearl. I looked back at Sora and the others to see that they had beaten all the pirates that were on the ship.

"Hooray!" Said Donald as he jumped up and down. The four of us started dancing around and celebrating our victory.

"We beat the pirates!" Said Sora with a grin on his face.

"Well, did you now, laddie?" Asked a familiar voice. We all turned around to see Barbossa and a group of pirates. Elizabeth and Jack were both being held hostage. Then another group of pirates walked over.

"Jack!"

"This is just great," I said.

"Now, I'll be having that medallion back. Unless it's more important than their lives," said Barbossa.

"Barbossa!" Shouted another voice. We all turned around to see Will standing there. He aimed his gun at Barbossa. "She goes free!" Barbossa snorted.

"Go ahead and shoot. We can't die," said Barbossa.

"You can't..." Will put the gun to his head. "But I can. My name is Will Turner! My Father was Bootstrap Bill Turner!" Barbossa's eyes widened in shock.

"Do as I say or I shall pull the trigger and be lost to Davy Jone's locker."

"Name your terms Mr. Turner."

"Release Elizabeth. And Sora, And Alex, And Donald, And Goofy too." I let out a mental sigh of relief. We were saved.

"Anythin' else?" I noticed that Jack was trying to get Will's attention. As if telling him to let him free.

"Leave now!"

"Agreed! Leave we shall..." Barbossa lowered his head. Then he looked back up. "But the Heartless stay!" We heard Pete's laugh, we turned around to see Will slung over his shoulder. Pete walked by us.

"No fair!" Shouted Sora. A group of pirates grabbed us and tied us up. Then they roughly threw us down into the hold along with Jack and Elizabeth.

"Good work, Barbossa! Who knew that it would be so easy?" Asked Pete.

"Barbossa you coward!" Exclaimed Elizabeth.

"What kind of exchange is this? Stupid lying, cheating bastards!" I shouted along with a few other colorful words that made Goofy gasp.

"I'm afraid you weren't too specific about details," said Barbossa.

"That's the last time I trust a pirate!" Exclaimed Sora.

"The powder kegs are ready," said a pirate.

"And I thought it couldn't get any worse than this," I said with a sigh.

"Then I bid ye farewell," said Barbossa as he walked off along with Pete. We sat there in silence for a minute or so as we thought about what the current situation was and how we were going to get out of this mess.

"What are we going to do?" Asked Donald.

"We are going to be blown to smithereens!" Added Goofy.

"Why struggle, mate? A pirate knows when to surrender," said Jack. I couldn't believe my ears. Was Jack really saying that?

"You can't be serious," said Sora as he looked back at Jack.

"Your average pirate, anyway," finished Jack. He somehow managed to cut his ropes and then he cut us loose too. "Our first concern is the gun powder. I'm not about to lose this ship."

"Good idea. Otherwise this ship will be taking us to oblivion," I said.

"Yeah well I still don't plan on trusting pirates again," said Sora.

"Wise policy, lad," said Jack. We got ready to fight and charged up the stairs. The heartless were flying around guarding big barrels with a flame slowing coming towards them.

"We'd better take those out," said Donald.

"Indeed. A ship isn't very useful if it is reduced to a pile of ash," said Jack. We fought off the heartless and started knocking the barrels into the sea. I couldn't use any flare spells, for if one was to close to one of the barrels it would explode. And I didn't want to risk that. Finally all the barrels had been knocked into the ocean.

"All clear," said Sora. Jack looked out in the distance to see the Black Pearl sailing away.

"That's the second time I have had to watch that man sail away with my ship," said Jack. Jack walked over to the helm and looked back over at us. "We are going back to Isla de Muerta to settle this. All hands at your stations!" The ship sailed off towards Isla de Muerta. As we arrived Jack looked back at Elizabeth. "Stay with the ship, lass." Elizabeth shook her head.

"I shall do no such thing! Will could die in there!" Exclaimed Elizabeth.

"Dear William is fine. Trust me." The look on Elizabeth's face obviously pointed out that she doesn't trust him at all. Couldn't really blame her. He IS a pirate after all.

"I am not a fool, Jack."

"Then trust us instead," said Sora. Elizabeth looked over at the four of us.

"Sora, Alex, Donald, Goofy... bring Will back safely!" We nodded and walked into the caves. After walking through the various areas of the caves we finally reached a place that looked like the center. There was treasure all over the place, almost enough to fill a royal treasury. In the center of the room was a pool of water and a large rock. On the rock was a stone chest and some more treasure. We hid in the shadows and listened to what the pirates were saying.

"And now, the blood will be repaid to free us from this curse forever! This time for sure," said Barbossa. The pirates started to cheer.

"Time to crash this little gathering," I whispered.

"My thought's exactly," whispered Sora. We ran out towards the pirates. "Ahoy! Treasure, mateys!" Barbossa looked at us quite shocked.

"Not possible," said Barbossa.

"Not probable," corrected Donald. "We're alive and we're pirates."

"Captain Jack Sparrow!" Said Jack.

"Sora!" Said Sora as he moved up next to Jack.

"Alex!" I said as I moved up next to Sora.

"Donald Duck!" Said Donald as he moved up next to me.

"Goofy too," said Goofy as he moved up next to Donald.

"So you want to play pirate? Best save the playacting for the nursery," said Barbossa. The pirates charged towards us. We fought and defeated them quickly.

"Thank you everyone," said Will as he walked over to us.

"Where's Jack?" Asked Goofy.

"Over there," I said. Jack and Barbossa were off fighting with each other.

"Get him, Jack!" Exclaimed Sora.

"Huh?" Asked Jack as he looked over at us. Barbossa took this time to his advantage to stab Jack through the gut with his sword. Jack stumbled back and into the moonlight. Suddenly he went into that skeleton form that the other pirates could go into since they were cursed. He looked at his hand and then showed off the medallion that he had somehow stolen.

"Show yourself Pete! The tide has changed," said Barbossa.

"See? I told you that you would be needin' ol' Pete," said Pete as he walked into the scene. He whistled and a green monkey like heartless appeared. It crawled along the walls and then a strange aura of darkness covered the area. With this new effect we wouldn't be able to hurt Barbossa until we got him into the moonlight. But with the enhanced darkness it would be impossible.

"We have to get rid of that Heartless first I guess," said Sora.

"Seems like it," said Donald. We split up into groups. Sora, Donald, and Jack kept Barbossa at bay while Goofy and I headed towards the Heartless.

"It's a good thing that it's eyes glow," said Goofy.

"Yeah, we'd have trouble finding it otherwise," I said. I looked back at Sora, Donald, and Jack to see that they were looking for Barbossa but couldn't find him in this darkness. In the far corner of the cave was the Heartless. We ran towards it and started unleashing a fury of attacks. The Heartless disappeared and the darkness dissipated.

"Alex, behind you!" Exclaimed Goofy. I looked behind me to see Barbossa.

"Boo," said Barbossa. He caught me off guard and then slashed at me with his sword. The sword made a not so good cut on the skin of my left arm. I jumped back to avoid any more injuries. Sora and the others ran towards Barbossa. They started attacking him and after awhile Barbossa stumbled back.

"This ain't over!" Said Pete as he walked off.

"Well enough of this then..." Started Jack. He put away his sword. "What say you... we call it a draw?"

"Jack, how many times do I have to tell you?" Asked Barbossa. Jack tossed the medallion and then shot Barbossa. Barbossa sighed and started laughing.

"Laugh while you can!" Said Will. Barbossa turned around to see Will standing in front of the stone chest. He drops two medallions into the chest and Barbossa turned around and looked back at Jack.

"I feel... cold," said Barbossa. He fell to the ground, he was dead.

"So the curse is broken?" I asked.

"Yeah, no more cursed pirates," said Sora. Donald jumped up as he remembered something.

"We'd better heal that wound you got, Alex," said Donald. He walked over to me. "Just let me take a look at your... WAK!" Donald suddenly exclaimed.

"What is it?" Asked Sora.

"The wound has completely healed!"

"What?" Exclaimed Sora as he ran over to me and grabbed my arm to look at where the wound was. "Your right. That's so weird."

"Maybe it has something to do with Alex being half Nobody," said Goofy.

"That might be it," said Sora. I ripped off the shredded part of my sleeve and let it drop to the ground. Jack cleared his throat.

"Hate to interrupt this conversation that I don't understand. But there really is not a need to stay here. We should get going," said Jack. We left and headed back to the ship.

"What now Jack?" Asked Will as we headed to the ship.

"Whatever I want, now that the Pearl is mine again," said Jack.

"That she is." Will looked over at Jack and extended his hand. "Thank you, Jack." Jack jumped back.

"I didn't want you hitting me again."

"Hey Jack, good luck!" Said Sora.

"Remember to be good," said Donald.

"I'm off," said Jack as he walked off. Elizabeth jumped off the ship and ran towards us.

"Will!" She cried as she ran towards him. She tightly embraced him and the stood their together locked in their hug.

"_Friends, huh? Seems like they are more than just friends," _I said in my thoughts.

"Good for them," said Sora with a smile.

"Uh huh," said Goofy. He looked over at Sora. "Hey Sora, how come your face is all red?"

"W-what? It's not red!" Donald grinned.

"Aw, I know who you are thinking about," said Donald.

"Kairi," I said while elbowing Sora. Suddenly Jack's compass started glowing and it raised up into the air. Once again Sora did that opening the keyhole thing.

"You know..." Said Sora. We looked at him. "For a moment back there I was afraid we are going to lose Donald to the curse of the treasure!"

"Yup, me too," said Goofy.

"I was a little worried myself," I said.

"What?" Exclaimed Donald as he turned around to face us. Shortly afterwards we left, got onboard the Gummi Ship, and left.

* * *

Well I finally got this chapter done. I know it was that great but I promise that the later chapters will be a lot better. Anyway, please review. 


	7. A City in the Desert

Thank you all who reviewed! Yes, I know this gets repetitive but I really appreciate it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean or Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

Chapter 7: A city in the desert

As the Gummi Ship took us to the next world I looked out the window. There was a lot on my mind. It was strange that I hadn't heard anything from Maria or Organization XIII. I thought that they would be constantly paying me visits and pestering me. Makes me wonder if they are plotting something.

"Hey Alex," said Sora. I looked over at him.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"You never finished explaining why you are against Organization XIII." Donald and Goofy nodded.

"Why are you fighting against them and helping us?" Asked Donald.

"It's like I said earlier. They took everything away from me," I started. I told them the story of Luther, of the Eternal Sphere, and Fayt and his friends. And I told them how the Eternal Sphere had been deleted, and how my body was destroyed.

"That's a little confusing, but I can understand what you are getting at. You do have a reason to hate them," said Sora.

"But if you were destroyed, how did you come back?" Asked Donald. I shrugged.

"Beats me. I still don't understand what is going on. So I have decided to just go with the flow. Whatever happens is what will happen and there is nothing I can do," I said. I looked back out the window. _"Father, what is it that you want me to do?"_

"Hey look, it's Agrabah," saidGoofy. Outside of the ship was a world that was shaped like a lamp, with a town on top of it and a tiger head at the bottom.

"Let's land," said Donald. The ship flew down towards this Agrabah place. Agrabah was a city in the middle of a vast desert. How people could survive in a place like this is well beyond me. It was pretty hot, but nothing comes close to the Mosel Dunes. Anyway we walked into town. It was a lively place filled with people walking, talking, and living out their daily lives.

"Gawrsh, I wonder how Aladdin 'n' Jasmine are doing?" Asked Goofy.

"Hey maybe Riku is with them," suggested Sora.

"Yeah and the King," said Goofy.

"Keep dreaming you two," said Donald.

"So I presume you are looking for this King and Riku," I said.

"Yup, that's why we are traveling from world to world. Looking for them," said Sora.

"And you haven't had any luck yet?"

"No not yet," said Donald.

"Who are these two anyway?" I asked.

"King Mickey, is the ruler of our world," said Goofy.

"And Riku is my best friend," said Sora. "In our previous journey we were separated from them when we closed the Door to Darkness."

"Well I doubt that either of them are here," said Donald.

"Come on, we know you were thinking the same thing." Donald shook his head.

"No I wasn't." We continued walking until Goofy started exclaiming something about someone named Iago. We turned around to see a small red parrot flying in front of Goofy. Sora and Donald pulled out their weapons.

"Wait, you've got me all wrong!" Exclaimed the bird. I jumped back.

"Whoa! A talking bird!" I said. Just when I thought that I had seen everything, something new and out of the ordinary shows up. It seems like almost every one of these worlds I had been to so far were full of strange sights.

"Don't let him fool you Alex. He's not a good bird," said Sora.

"It's just a bird that can talk. I don't see what the big deal is." This bird that they kept calling Iago flew over to my face.

"I have turned over a new leaf now. No more scams," said Iago. I looked over at Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Then I looked back over at Iago.

"I have no idea what is going on here anymore," I said.

"I bet that is your new scam," said Sora.

"Ya gotta believe me!" Protested Iago.

"Sora, let's go," said Donald.

"I was stuck inside that lamp with Jafar. Remember? Well, I finally escaped. But then some things happened and..." Iago trailed off and landed on a nearby rock. I had no idea who this Jafar person was but I take it that he wasn't a good guy.

"Free as a bird, huh?" Said Sora.

"Have fun!" Said Donald.

"Gawrsh, fellas. He looks pretty sad," said Goofy.

"I assume there is more you have to say, Iago?" I asked. Iago looked up at Goofy and I.

"I wanna apologize to Aladdin and Jasmine," said Iago. He landed in Goofy's hands. "Could you guys put in a good word for me?"

"Sure, we can do that, can't we?" Said Goofy as he looked over at us.

"Fine wi..." I stopped as I looked around and saw some Heartless slowly walking towards us. This variety had twin swords and dressed in strange garments. "Looks like we have company." Sora and the others looked around and pulled out their weapons. I summoned my katana and got ready to fight. The Heartless rushed towards us. I blocked the blades of one of the Heartless and then stabbed it through. I used a flare spell on another one that was nearby. A Heartless jumped into the air and brought it's swords down at me. I blocked it's attacks and attempted a counterstrike. The Heartless blocked my strike and then attacked me again. I flipped over the Heartless and slashed it's head off. As we defeated Heartless, more popped up.

"Where are they all coming from?" Asked Sora. A few Heartless approached Iago, he freaked out and started flying around. He crashed into various objects like crates, causing them to fall on the Heartless.

"This way!" Said Sora as he pointed to a door that lead into a small place. We ran through the remaining Heartless and inside the room.

"Thanks for your help, Iago," said Goofy.

"Yes, that would have been a difficult fight to get out of if you hadn't knocked the majority of them out," I said.

"I guess we owe you one," said Sora.

"Perfect!" Chimed Iago.

"But you'll have to win over Aladdin and Jasmine yourself. Be on your best behavior!"

"Yeah, I got it."

"Where is Aladdin anyway?" Asked Goofy.

"Probably at the palace." We left and walked down the streets towards this palace. As we arrived in the courtyard we saw a woman with long brownish black hair and wearing a blue, skimpy outfit. Based on her Garments, my guess was that she was a princess.

"Jasmine," said Sora. She turned around to face us. She smiled as she saw us.

"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" Said Jasmine. She then looked at me. "And you are?"

"The name's Alex," I said.

"He's a new friend of ours," said Sora.

"Your Majesty," said Donald as he bowed. Sora, Goofy, and I looked back at him and then quickly bowed as well. Jasmine giggled.

"I never had a chance to thank you before. You helped Aladdin defeat Jafar and save Agrabah," said Jasmine.

"All in a day's work," said Sora.

"So how is Aladdin doing?" Asked Goofy. Jasmine looked down at the ground.

"He... hasn't been himself lately," said Jasmine.

"Is it because of the Heartless?" Asked Donald.

"I don't know. Usually he is the same cheerful Aladdin, but sometimes he seems sad. He leaves the palace and goes off by himself all the time. When I asked he said that nothing was wrong. He's gone again today, but..."

"Hey maybe he has a secret girlfriend!" Exploded Iago as he jumped up and started flying around. "I know! I'll go find out who she is." Jasmine jumped up at the sight of Iago and then glared at him.

"Iago!" She looked over at us. "Sora, catch him!" Iago circled around us a few times and then landed on my shoulder. Jasmine ran off towards the gates. "I'll alert the guards!"

"Wait, Iago's not..." Started Sora. But it was too late, she had already gone inside the palace. Sora sighed and looked over at Iago. "Nice move."

"It must have been something you said," suggested Goofy.

"Or perhaps you jumped out too quickly and at the wrong time," I said.

"Me and my big mouth," said Iago.

"We should go talk to Aladdin," said Donald.

"Yeah, I wonder what he is up to," said Sora. As we walked back out onto the streets we heard someone shout.

"STOP THIEF!" A monkey holding a black lamp scampered down the street. Then a guy with shaggy brownish black hair with a vest and big baggy white pants ran by us.

"Hi, Sora," said the person as they ran off.

"Come back here!" Shouted a small midget with a big turban thing on top of his head. He ran off in the same direction as the other man and the monkey. We quickly followed the three of them to see what was up.

"If you can't control him, put a leash on him!" Said the midget.

"I'm sorry about that. No hard feelings?" Said the Man as he handed back the black lamp. The midget quickly grabbed the lamp and stormed off. A man with a fuse as short as his height. The man looked back over at us as we walked over to him.

"Hey guys, sorry about earlier. I was in a hurry," said the Man.

"What happened?" Asked Sora.

"You know Abu. He couldn't keep his paws off that lamp." Abu started jumping up and speaking mumbo jumbo (A.K.A. monkey talk). "No talking your way out of this one." We started to laugh a little bit.

"I guess you can't be THAT down in the dumps."

"Who said I was?"

"Princess Jasmine. She's worried cause you are always in town," said Goofy. Ah, I get it. So this person is Aladdin.

"Got a new girlfriend?" Asked Donald.

"No way! Guess there is no fooling Jasmine... See... Genie and Carpet took off to see the world. It's what Genie always wanted, so I wish him the best and all but..." At this point I was totally lost. I guess I wouldn't know any of this since I wasn't here last time Sora and Co. came to this place.

"You miss him," said Goofy.

"Man, things must be REALLY quiet with Genie not around," said Sora.

"Yeah, that's why I come here. There is always something going on in the town. I mean, I met you guys here today," said Aladdin. He looked over at me. "By the way, who is this guy that is tagging along with you?"

"Oh me? I'm Alex," I said.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Aladdin."

"Nice to meet you too."

"Uh, Sora?" Said Goofy. Sora turned around to look at Goofy. Then he looked back at Iago to see him shivering on the ground.

"Oh right! Iago wants to apologize for the trouble he caused," said Sora.

"He's so sorry that he is shaking," said Goofy.

"That lamp!" Exclaimed Iago.

"What about it?" Asked Aladdin.

"It's THE lamp!"

"Come on, there's a million like it."

"Hey! I was locked in that thing FOR MONTHS! There's no way that I'd mistake it," said Iago as he flew up in the air again.

"Then we had better go talk to that Peddler," said Aladdin. We headed back to the Peddler's shop. I wasn't quite so sure what was the big deal about this lamp but for some reason it's a bad thing.

"Yes, how can I help you?" Asked the Peddler. Who would have thought that the midget was the Peddler?

"We'd like to buy that lamp," I said.

"That's alright with me. IF you can afford it," said the Peddler.

"How much?" Asked Donald.

"Let's see... 500,000 Munny!" Sora, Donald, Goofy, and I gasped while I could hear Aladdin cough outside. "Of course if you could also trade it with treasure. I'd say a treasure fit for a sultan would do." We walked out. Damned Peddler, I swear those kinds of people always try to find someway to suck the money out of you.

"Treasure, huh? That could be tricky," said Aladdin.

"How about going to the cave of wonders and find something there? That place has lots of treasure," said Iago.

"All right, we'll try going there. If we get the treasure, then I will believe your apology," said Aladdin.

"You can count on me." We went into the desert towards a big dark globe. As we walked inside it became night for some unknown reason. There was a big tigers head with it's jaws open. What's strange was that it was completely made out of sand. These worlds have never ending wonders. So we walked into the mouth of the tiger and after fighting a few Heartless, solving some puzzles, turning off traps, we finally arrived at a large room full of treasure. The room was practically glowing because of all the treasure. There were piles and piles of it. In the center was a trophy of some sort that had jewels and gems all over it.

"What about that thing?" I asked as I pointed to it.

"That should work, I bet that guy will love this thing," said Donald.

"It sure looks valuable," said Sora.

"Great! No let's go get that lamp," said Aladdin. He looked over at Sora. "We gotta keep Jafar bottled up or else he will destroy Agrabah." We all looked over at Donald to see him starring into a ruby shaped like an egg that he was holding in his hand. "Donald, snap out of it!" Suddenly several Heartless appeared.

"Why does this always happen?" Asked Donald.

"Cause it can," I said. We pulled out our weapons and started fighting the Heartless. Since it was only a few they were quickly defeated.

"Let's go," said Sora. Just as we started to leave I quickly reached over to a nearby pile of treasure, took a handful of gold coins, jewels, and other things of value and put them in my pocket. Then I caught up to the others. What can I say? I have a slight obsession with something valuable, especially if it is gold or treasure. We headed back to Agrabah and into the Peddler's shop.

"Hello?" Said Aladdin.

"Give it here!" Exclaimed a nearby voice outside. It sounded familiar too.

"Oh no! This lamp is going to bring me riches!" Said the Peddler. We looked outside to see the Peddler being chased by Pete.

"Give it to me!" Said Pete. We followed them to the Palace where the chase continued. Pete grabbed it but then the Peddler got it back. Eventually Pete got the lamp. But then Iago flew over and grabbed the lamp. Pete finally noticed that he didn't have the lamp and chased after Iago. The Peddler ran after them as well. But then Iago crashed into a wall and Pete grabbed the lamp. "Nice try, bird brain. Just you wait till Jafar is free. He'll make one beauty of a Heartless," said Pete. Just then out of nowhere a large blue flying person flew down.

"I'M HOME!" Exclaimed the person. He flew past Pete. "Al! It's been Eons!" He grabs Pete and hugs him. "Al, you princely little muffin you!" He teleported and then reappeared next to Pete with an arm on his shoulder. "Cosmic travel can get so lonely without a friend." He teleported to the other side of Pete. "To think I left you forlorn and Genie-less... OH THE HUMANITY!"

"Um... Genie," started Aladdin.

"Say Al have you put on some weight or something?" This person appeared right in front of Pete's face again. "What am I saying? You ARE living in the palace now!" Suddenly another one of these guys appeared out of nowhere. "Aladdin!" Said one in Jasmine's voice. "Jasmine!" Said the other in Aladdin's voice as they hugged. Then they disappeared and a heart shaped firework appeared. Then he reappeared and slapped Pete on the back. "Am I being a pest? A big blue pest? Ah who cares? I'm just so glad to SEE you Ala..." He finally noticed that it wasn't Aladdin.

"Genie," said Aladdin. Genie looked over at him and then grabbed him in an embrace. Pete fell over and was completely disoriented. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and I were laughing at Pete. Pete got back up.

"Time for plan B," said Pete. He waved his hand and two large Heartless appeared. One was light blue and the other was light orange. We got ready to fight these new foes. While everyone focused on the orange one I fought the blue one. I dodged it's ice attacks and would occasionally slash at it. At one point it's staff started glowing and there was a chill in the air. I jumped up, grabbed it's arm, and twisted it's arm around so that the blast was shot down to the ground. Then I threw the Heartless down onto the ice path it had created. I landed on top of it and then I used my sword to propel the Heartless forward, turning it into one massive board. It was easy to move since there was ice. This Heartless ended up crashing into the other Heartless that the others were fighting. I snapped my finger and a flare spell shot up from underneath the Heartless I was standing on. It went flying up into the air and then I jumped into mid air.

"Crescent Slash!" I shouted. I spun down and as I did I slashed the Heartless in half. I landed on the ground and stood back up. Sora and the others had just finished off the other Heartless as well. Pete stormed off once again. How many more times was he going to do this? I picked up the lamp that he had dropped. "So what are we going to do with this?"

"We will seal that inside the palace," said Aladdin. I looked at the lamp.

"So this Jafar person is in here, right?"

"Indeed, he is!" Exclaimed the blue man who suddenly appeared in front of my face. I nearly jumped several feet into the air. He looked back at Aladdin. "Who is this guy, anyway?"

"That's Alex. He's a friend of Sora's," said Aladdin. The blue man grabbed my hand and started shaking it over-enthusiastically.

"Heya, Alex! I am Genie! It's a pleasure to meet you!" Genie let go of my hand and I fell to the ground. Jasmine came out and ran over to Aladdin.

"Welcome back!" Said Jasmine with a smile. Aladdin smiled back. Jasmine looked over at Iago. "Thank you for your help." Iago nodded.

"I promise, you won't regret giving me a second chance," said Iago.

"Ah, Princess Jasmine, are you sure you want this pigeon in the coop?" Asked Genie.

"I think Iago means well," said Jasmine.

"Yeah, and how much trouble could one noisy bird cause?" Asked Sora.

"You've got a point there, kid," said Genie.

"So what next, Sora?" Asked Jasmine.

"Well it was nice to see you all again, but we have to go and continue looking for Riku and the King," said Sora.

"I hope you find them," said Genie.

"Me too."

"Hey, where's Aladdin?" Asked Donald.

"He's looking for Abu. He should be back soon," said Jasmine.

"Al can't miss Sora's big farewell party! I'll have him back in a jiffy!" Said Genie. He disappeared.

"Abu!" Shouted Aladdin as he chased after his monkey. This time the monkey was holding the ruby that Donald was looking at in the Cave of Wonders. "Catch him!" We all jumped to stop Abu but we all ended up crashing on top of each other. "He must have secretly stolen it when we were at the Cave of Wonders."

"Abu," said Donald. He grabbed the ruby and starred into it. "Wow..."

"I guess some things are hard to resist," said Goofy.

"Seems like it," said Sora.

"Or perhaps Donald has a liking for treasure," I suggested. I probably shouldn't be talking since I had taken some small stuff from the Cave of Wonders. Fortunately no one has noticed... yet.

"Ah, who needs it!" Said Donald. Donald pretended to throw it but then put it behind his back. It didn't fool anyone though. "I guess it got stuck..." Laughed Donald. Suddenly it started glowing and Sora did that opening of the gate trick of his.

"Sora? What is it?" Asked Aladdin.

"I think it is time for us to go," said Sora.

"Will you be back?" Asked Jasmine.

"I promise." We left the palace after saying out goodbyes and headed towards our Gummi ship. I stopped walking as I sensed a portal of darkness appear behind me. Maria was standing there.

"Well done Alex. You are getting stronger," said Maria as she applauded me.

"Maria..." I said.

"Organization XIII is impressed with your growing skills. Why don't you put your skills to the best cause and join us?" Asked Maria as she held out her hand. I shook my head.

"No, I told you already. I am not going to join." Maria shrugged and sighed.

"Listen Alex, I am pestering you for your sake. The time window you have for joining Organization XIII of your own free will is starting to close. Soon you will be forced to join."

"Thanks for the warning, but I can take care of myself. No matter what Organization XIII is planning, no matter what it throws at me, I will be ready for it."

"You still have time to think about your decision." A portal of darkness appeared. "Don't squander that little bit of time you have." Maria walked through the portal and it disappeared.

"Alex! What are you standing around for?" Asked Sora from a distance away.

"It's nothing, never mind!" I said. I quickly ran over to them to catch up and we got onboard the Gummi Ship. The ship flew off towards the next world.

* * *

So what's the next world? Who will Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Alex meet? And what is in store for them? Find out in the next chapter. Anyway, please review. 


	8. Sandy Claws or Santa Claus?

Thank you all who reviewed!

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean or Kingdom Hearts

* * *

Chapter 8: Sandy Claws or Santa Claus?

Meanwhile, inside of Organization XIII's stronghold, the group was having a meeting. Maria had just arrived and sat down in the chair marked: 'XII'.

"How did your meeting with Alex go?" Asked Saïx.

"He is being really stubborn. I don't think he is ever going to change his mind," replied Maria as she looked over at her father.

"I figured it would come to this," said Xaldin.

"Then that leaves us one choice," said Luxord.

"Give him a little more time and if he doesn't comply we will pay him a visit," finished Xemnas. A portal of darkness appeared and Demyx walked out. He was holding a black brief case with the Nobody insignia on it. "You are just in time Demyx. I see you have got our order."

"Yup, here they are," said Demyx.

"What's in there?" Asked Maria.

"A useful item that we had forged in my home world," replied Vox.

"On Elicoor II? What did we get?"

"Disintegration rings, one for each of us," said Saïx. Maria looked surprised.

"Disintegration rings? Who did you have make them?"

"A little bunny rabbit living in the Urssa Lava Caves," commented Demyx.

"Oh yeah, Vanilla," said Maria. Xemnas chuckled.

"You should have seen the look on his face when we told him how much we would pay for high quality Disintegration rings," said Xemnas.

"How much?"

"10,000,000 Fol." Maria almost slipped out of her seat.

"10 million? You could buy a small ship for that much!"

"The look on his face was priceless," said Luxord.

"He almost got a heart attack," commented Xigbar. All the members got out of the chairs and walked over to where Demyx was standing.

"We have been able to get a lot of resources out of your universe," said Saïx as he looked over at his daughter and Vox.

"Dare I ask what other sort of things you took?" Asked Maria.

"We spent some time hunting down those O.P.A.s," said Luxord.

"With those annoying 4D beings out of the way, we can access the power of those O.P.A.s whenever we want," said Xemnas.

"With their power, nothing will stop us from becoming complete beings," said Xaldin. Demyx opened the brief case and started handing out the disintegration rings. He took the last one and put it on his finger.

"We shall claim victory with all of this power," said Vox with a grin. Maria put on her ring and looked at it. It looked a lot like the one that Vanilla had made for her and the others when they were trying to meet with Crosell in their journey last year. It reminded her of all that they had been through.

"So what now?" Asked Maria.

"We will continue to observe Sora and his friends," said Xemnas.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Twilight Town. Fayt and the others continued to search. But they hadn't succeeded yet.

"So what now? All we found out was what those creatures were from that wizard guy living in the tower," said Cliff.

"And we haven't found anything about the guy in the brown cloak," said Nel.

"Are you looking for someone?" Asked a nearby store clerk. The group looked over at him.

"Yeah, we are looking for a guy wearing a black outfit with a brown cloak, have you seen him?" Asked Fayt. The store clerk nodded.

"Oh yeah, I saw someone like that. He was accompanied by this guy with this strange red outfit. They bought some ice cream, talked and then the guy in red walked off."

"And what did they other guy do?" Asked Sophia.

"He walked off to the Train Station."

"He must have gone to see that Yen Sid person," said Dr. Leingod.

"After that, who knows?" Asked Fayt's Mother.

"In any case we should try searching the town some more. We might have over looked an area," suggested Adray.

"Right, let's search a little more. We will split up and come back here in an hour or so," said Fayt.

"This search is starting to get really annoying," said Albel. They split up into groups and started searching the town again.

* * *

Now finally let's turn our attention over to Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Alex.

"What world is that?" I asked.

"Looks like Halloween town, let's go check it out,"said Sora.

"Halloween Town?"

"You'll see once we land," said Donald. We landed and already I recognized the difference. My outfit was now all tattered and messed up, and covering my face was a mask shaped like the face of a Dusk with a large Nobody symbol on it. I looked at myself.

"What the?" Then I looked over at Sora, Donald, and Goofy. "What in the?" I exclaimed. Goofy was dressed weirdly, Donald was covered in bandages, and Sora was wearing an outfit with two wings sprouting out and a pumpkin monster mask.

"This is Halloween Town. Halloween here is a big holiday. In fact, I believe it is the only holiday here," said Goofy. I remember in the early days of the Eternal Sphere, back in the 20th century on Earth, kids would dress up and go around each house and get candy. It was called Halloween. We never bothered setting down Holidays, we had the beings within the Eternal Sphere do that for themselves. But oddly enough, the people of the Eternal Sphere had developed Christmas which was a holiday we celebrated.

"I see," I said. Suddenly a transparent rag that was shaped like a dog flew over to us. "Whoa! What is that?"

"It's Zero, how have you been boy?" Asked Sora.

"You know this thing?"

"We sure do. Zero is Jack Skellington's pet," explained Goofy. There was so much that I didn't understand about these places. But just when I thought these worlds couldn't get any weirder, they do. This Zero creature zoomed off towards the entrance to the town. We walked into the town. The town was very Halloween looking. Just like the rest of this world. In the center of the town square was a fountain spewing out green liquid. I wouldn't say that is water, who knows what that stuff is? There was a large ramp sitting out in the town square.

"What's that for?" Asked Sora.

"Beats me," said Donald. It was faint, but in the air there was the sound of bells. It was getting louder so it must be getting closer. Soon a sleigh came down carried by skeleton reindeer. Riding the sleigh was a skeleton looking guy who was wearing a black outfit of some sort. He looked over at us as the reindeer landed on the ramp.

"Sora, Donald, and Goofy! And who are you?" Asked the skeleton man.

"This is Alex, he joined us on our quest," said Sora.

"Well hello Alex, I'm Jack Skellington. And Merry Christmas to all of you!"

"Merry Christmas? Don't you mean: Happy Halloween?" Asked Sora.

"Of course. Halloween greetings from Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King!" He attempted to make some form of scary face but it didn't seem to work too well. "Forgive me. I am in a Christmas mood. You see I want to help with Christmas this year too. But I need to get Sandy Claw's blessings first. So I'm off to Christmas Town."

"Sandy Claws?"

"I think he means, Santa Claus," said Goofy.

"This year, Halloween Town is going to do Christmas too. But First, we need to go visit Sally. She is making something that no self respecting Santa Claus can do without," said Jack. He took a few steps and looked back at us. "Come on, I'll show you."

"A Halloween Town Christmas..." Said Sora. We looked around at Halloween.

"Guillotines, scary toys that look like they could suck out your soul, creepy skeleton reindeer that squeak... Somehow I don't think that would work," I said.

"Come on, let's check it out." We followed Jack to a lab place of some sort. Inside was a guy on a wheel chair who was looking at an over sized book. On the table were parts to some sort of robot. And on the floor were three little midget kids that made the Peddler in Agrabah look tall.

"Hello, Doctor. Where's Sally?" Asked Jack. The Doctor looked over at Jack while glaring.

"Can't you see that I am in the middle of an experiment?" Asked the Doctor, seeming rather annoyed.

"Hey, this is way too heavy," said one of the kids who was carrying a large machine part.

"Let's toss it," said another one.

"If you do, you'll be sorry," said the Doctor. They threw it up onto the table and it exploded, damaging quite a few parts in the process. The three kids ran outside. "IMBECILES! Now my experiment is ruined!" I looked back at the door to see a girl who looked like she was sown together. She wore a dress and had red hair. She was holding a red suit but it looked like it was incomplete. Jack noticed her as well.

"Sally. Did you finish it? I want to show it to my friends," said Jack as he walked over to her. Sally shook her head slowly.

"I'm sorry Jack. I need a little more time," said Sally.

"Well that's all right. Just as long as it is ready for Christmas," said Jack. He quickly patted her shoulder and started to walk out the door.

"But..." Started Sally.

"I've got to go get Sandy Claws, right away! Wonderful to see you again, goodbye now," sad Jack as he waved at us. He closed the door and left.

"Go get Santa Clause?" Asked Sora.

"Please Sora. I'm afraid something terrible will happen if Jack goes through with this," said Sally.

"You can say that again," said Donald.

"Then we had better do something about this. Right, Sora?" I asked. Sora didn't reply.

"Sora?" Asked Goofy. I looked over at him to see that he was smiling for no reason.

"What are you smiling about?" The door opened and Jack walked back in.

"Are those strange looking fellows in the town with you?" Asked Jack.

"What fellows?" Asked Sora as he was snapped back from his day dream.

"Those guys that are trying to spoil Halloween and Christmas... let's see what were they called?" Jack folded his arms and looked like he was in deep thought. "Heartless?"

"Then they are definitely not with us. But we can get rid of them for you." Sora grinned. "And then... we could go see Santa!" Donald folded his arms and started tapping his foot in disapproval.

"But first... the Heartless." We walked out of the lab and back into the town square. A small guy with a microphone, who seemed to be the mayor, was ordering the Heartless to leave. But it didn't seem to be doing any good. He noticed us and ran off. We pulled out our weapons and got ready to fight the Heartless. We quickly defeated them.

"How is Sandy Claws supposed to relax with all of this going on?" Asked Jack. He looked up as he had an idea. "That's it, fellows! Sandy Claws needs bodyguards. Are you up to the task?"

"Us?" Asked Donald.

"Yeah," said Sora.

"I think I can handle that," I said. Jack guided us into the forest. Then there was a clearing where there was a whole bunch of rows of trees with doors on them.

"Here it is! The door to Christmas Town! Beyond this door is a world filled with wonders... the likes of which you have never seen! At first I couldn't believe my eyes! Everything was so fresh and exciting!" Said Jack.

"Come on! Just open it!" Exclaimed Sora who had a big smile on his face. Already I was starting to smile a little bit myself. Jack opened the door. Sora quickly ran through the door and jumped in without hesitation. I ran towards the door as well and jumped in. Next thing I knew it was shot out and I landed on something cold... something cold... snow. I looked up and my eyes went wide as I starred in amazement. Beyond the hill we were on was a small town completely covered in lights. The area was all snowy and the sky was shining with stars.

"Whoa..." I said.

"Cooooooool," exclaimed Sora.

"Wow," said Donald in amazement. We got up and looked over at Jack. "So where's Santa?"

"In his workshop. Shall we?" Said Jack. We walked down the hill and into town. The town was covered in Christmas lights and there were Christmas decorations all over the place. It was the total opposite of Halloween Town. Suddenly a few more Heartless appeared.

"Here too?" Asked Sora. We pulled out our weapons and started fighting the Heartless. These Heartless were slightly different. Amongst the Heartless were things that looked like big Jack-in-the-boxes. They were slightly more difficult than other heartless to defeat but we were able to defeat them none the less.

"Christmas is in big, trouble," said Donald.

"We can't let anything bad happen to Christmas," said Goofy.

"Of course not! It is one of the best Holidays of the year after all," I said.

"That's where Sandy Claws lives," said Jack as he pointed over at the door. As we started walking I suddenly stopped as I sensed something. I shot around to look for the source... but there was no one there.

"Alex? What's wrong?" Asked Sora. I looked back over at them.

"For I moment I felt like someone had just suddenly appeared and was right behind us," I said.

"But there is no one behind us," said Jack.

"Yeah, that's the weird part. I don't sense it anymore."

"Organization XIII?" Asked Goofy. I shook my head.

"No, I didn't sense any Nobodies, and if they were from Organization XIII they would have stuck around to either taunt us or try to kill us," I said.

"Organization XIII? Who are they?" Asked Jack.

"A bad group. If you see anybody in a black cloak running around, don't show them any hospitality," said Sora.

"So if it wasn't Organization XIII, then what was it?" Asked Donald. I shrugged.

"Beats me. I didn't get to sense it long enough to identify anything more than just it's presence," I said.

"Then let's go see Sandy Claws. And hope that this thing you sensed isn't some hostile creature seeking to destroy Christmas," said Jack.

"Yeah," said Sora. We opened the door and walked inside. Inside the living room was the jolly ol' man himself. He was sitting his rocking chair reading a list.

"Whoa..." Said Sora and Donald at the same time. I was starting to grin.

"Well hello there. Have you come to see if you are on my 'nice' list?" Asked Santa. We took a few more steps towards Santa. "Your name?"

"Sora, sir," said Sora. He started checking the list.

"Let's see... Sora..." He looked up. "Well, according to my list, Sora... seven years ago you said that you didn't believe in Santa Claus. Oh... that is unfortunate." Sora gasped and then slumped over.

"And I was expecting to hear that you were on the 'nice' list," I said. Santa looked over at me.

"And you are?"

"I'm Alex." Santa started checking his list.

"Ah here you are. Well normally you would be on the nice list, but it is marked here that you are dead. Therefore you aren't on either list," said Santa. My jaw nearly dropped to the ground and I slumped over like Sora did.

"I'm on the dead list?" I kept repeating to myself over and over again.

"What about Donald and Goofy?" Asked Donald. Santa checked his list and smiled. Donald and Goofy started jumping up in excitement. "Oh boy! Oh boy!" Exclaimed Donald.

"Am I on your list? It's me, Jack Skellington," said Jack. Santa nearly dropped the list.

"Jack?" Exclaimed Santa. Suddenly there was a crash sound from upstairs. "What sort of trouble did you bring THIS TIME?" Santa opened a door and started walking up the stairs.

"This time?" Asked Sora.

"It's a long story..." Said Jack.

"And it looks like we don't have the time to hear it," I said.

"Yeah, let's go check out what is going on upstairs," said Donald. We walked up with Santa Claus. Suddenly we heard voices.

"Who's there?" Asked Santa.

"Busted," said a group of voices. Suddenly the three kids from before jumped down and broke through the window.

"It's Lock, Shock, and Barrel!" Exclaimed Jack.

"Not those three," said Santa.

"I assure you that they are not with us," said Jack.

"In any case, they have been quite naughty. Bring them back here. They are going to get a lecture." He started to walk away.

"But, Mr. Claws. I wanted to talk to you about Christmas..."

"It will have to wait."

"Come on Jack, let's go catch them," said Sora.

"Right. First things, first," said Jack. We ran outside to follow their tracks.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lock, Shock, and Barrel had managed to get a distance away from Sora and the others. They were currently heading to the graveyard where Maleficent had told them to go. As they were running in the woods they suddenly ran into something and all crashed into each other.

"Oww... what was that?" Asked Barrel.

"It was that guy!" Said Lock who was pointing upwards.

"Watch where you are going you..." Started Shock as she looked up. Then she went silent as she saw the person they ran into. Towering above them was a man wearing a black cloak with a hood over his head. On his face was a white mask with slits for his eyes to see through. On the right side of the mask was black thorns and the left side a gold flower. On the right eye slight was a tear that was dropping down.

"Watch where I am going? You are the ones who ran into me," said the Man in a strange sounding voice. It was almost electronic sounding.

"Your right, we are sorry," said Lock who was now bowing before the Man. The three kids didn't know why, but they could some how tell that this person was not someone you wanted to mess with.

"Maleficent is guiding you around, is she not?" Barrel nodded.

"She is guiding us around. Why do you ask?" Asked Barrel.

"Would you take me to her. I would like to speak with her," said the man.

"Um, sure. But why do you want to go see Maleficent?" Asked Shock.

"I have some things I want to discuss with her..." The man looked over at the tree that lead to Christmas Town. _"So Alex really is here in this world. I finally found him_."

* * *

BACK TO ALEX'S POV

Lock, Shock, and Barrel had left footprints in the snow. It was easy to follow them. But when we got to the woods we saw a new pair of foot prints join the other three. We all gathered around the new set of foot prints.

"Looks like they met up with someone here," said Jack.

"But who?" Asked Donald.

"Based on these foot prints it was someone bigger than those three," said Sora.

"Yes, someone a lot bigger than those children. He must have been wearing something that had some weight to it based on how deep these foot prints are," I said. Sora stood up.

"Let's keep going. We have to catch them."

"He's right. Let's keep moving," said Donald. We continued to follow the footsteps.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Graveyard, Lock, Shock, and Barrel had brought the mysterious man with them. A woman with greenish skin, yellow eyes, and horns sticking out of her head looked over at the approaching group. She wore a black outfit with purple sticking out of the collar.

"I see you have returned. And you brought someone with you," said the woman.

"Yes, this guy said he wants to talk to you, Maleficent," said Lock. Maleficent raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Then speak stranger, what do you have to say?" The man took several steps towards Maleficent.

"I take it you want to destroy Sora and his companions..." Said the man.

"You are correct. Why do you care anyway?" The man folded his arms, revealing the strange suit of armor he was wearing under the black cloak.

"Because I am observing that group and seeing what they are capable of. Especially the recent addition to their ranks."

"You mean that Alex kid? Pete had told me about this newcomer. So why did you wish to talk about this with me?" The man nodded.

"Right, I will get to the point. I was wondering something. Who is stronger? Alex, Sora, Donald, and Goofy? Or you, your pathetic plots of world domination, those worthless Heartless, and your incompetent subordinates?" Maleficent glared at the man and summoned green fire.

"How dare you! Of course the power of darkness is stronger! Are you some kind of fool?"

"A fool, yes, I am. So now that those you seek revenge on have appeared what will you do?"

"A change of plans of course. I was originally going to destroy that ridiculous Christmas town. But now that they are here... Revenge before pleasure after all."

"What kind of revenge?" Asked Shock.

"Why, the malevolent kind of course," said Maleficent as she looked over at the three mischief makers.

"That sounds bad," said Lock.

"Like Oogie's kind of bad," said Barrel. Maleficent seemed to gain a look of interest as she heard a familiar name.

"Oogie Boogie? That bag of insects? Where might I find him?"

"Jack and his stupid friends destroyed him," said Shock.

"I see... then I will bring your Master back for you," said Maleficent. She raised her staff and started summoning Oogie Boogie back from the dead. The mysterious man watched with a slight bit of interest.

"_This will be an interesting show to watch," _said the man in his thoughts. The flames faded away and a large sack that was shaped like a monster sat up.

"I feel like a million bugs. I really owe you one for this, Maleficent," said Oogie Boogie.

"Indeed you do Oogie. Do you remember Sora, Donald, and Goofy?" Asked Maleficent. Oogie Boogie burst into laughter.

"Do I remember them? You're too much Maleficent. I'll never forget what they did to me..." Oogie paused for a moment. "What was it that they did to me?"

"They squashed you like a bug," said Shock.

"That sounds bad."

"And Jack helped!" Said Lock.

"Even worse!"

"They creamed ya," said Barrel.

"That's right. I remember now, those clowns will regret messing with Oogie Boogie!" Shouted Oogie Boogie as he raised his arms into the air, sounding rather enraged.

"That's the spirit," said Maleficent with a smile. She turned around and looked up at the sky. "Have you ever heard of Christmas Town?" There was no response.

"Looks like your bag of bugs decided to take a nap," said the mysterious man.

"Oogie, wake up," said Lock.

"It seems like he needs more time to recover," said Maleficent. She looked over at the mysterious man. "Care to come along to enjoy this 'show' as you call it?" The man bowed.

"Thank you for your offer, but I think I will pass. I like doing things my way," said the Man.

"Very well then. Maleficent looked over at Lock, Shock, and Barrel. "Keep Sora and the others occupied." She disappeared. Then a large heartless with a cage underneath it appeared.

"Entertain me if you will," said the Man as he jumped high into the air and up into the trees.

* * *

Meanwhile... we ran into the next area to see a large Heartless and Lock, Shock, and Barrel. But no sign of the other person.

"Found you!" Shouted Sora. Lock, Shock, and Barrel laughed and jumped into the cage of the large Heartless. The Heartless lunged towards us. We pulled out our weapons and started fighting the Heartless. We dodged it as it dried to attack us. Sora, Goofy, and I focused on attacking it while Donald focused on long range combat by shooting off spells and healing us whenever needed. As the Heartless started to collapse Sora and I looked at each other.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Yeah," said Sora as he nodded. We ran towards the Heartless and slashed through it with an X-strike formation. The Heartless disappeared and Lock, Shock, and Barrel popped out.

"That was fun," said Lock.

"Let's go see if Mr. Oogie is ready," said Shock as they ran off.

"Oogie?" Exclaimed Jack.

"Not him again, didn't we take care of him already?" Asked Sora.

"Seems like he has come back somehow. Gentlemen, I hope you are ready for trouble."

"But Jack, we already have enough trouble as is," said Goofy. As we started to head back I felt something hit me. Suddenly a burst of energy surged through me and dark aura surrounded me. The aura faded away.

"Come Alex, let's go," said Donald.

"Coming!" I said as I ran up to catch up with them. I didn't know why but I felt strange. Almost as if something inside of me had just been unlocked like the keyhole to a locked door.

* * *

Meanwhile, up in the tree branches, the mysterious man stood there watch Sora, Donald, Goofy, Jack, and Alex leave.

"_Alex has indeed gotten stronger. The gift I just gave him should help him out. Now, it's time for another round to begin," _said the man in his thoughts. He teleported away.

* * *

Back to Alex's POV

As we were walking we saw Sally rush over towards us. She seemed to be in a panic about something.

"What's wrong, Sally?" Asked Jack.

"It's Oogie Boogie. He kidnaped Santa Claus!" Exclaimed Sally.

"What? Oh no!" Shouted Jack.

"He's headed towards Christmas Town," finished Sally.

"Come on, we have to hurry and stop him," said Sora.

"Yeah, we can't let anything happen to Santa Claus," I said. We ran to Christmas Town as quickly as we could. There we saw a shaft of smoke rising form Santa's house.

"That doesn't look too good," said Donald.

"Let's go save Santa," said Sora. We rushed into Santa's workshop to see that the place had been redecorated a little bit. There stood a large bag of some sort that was shaped like a monster. It was filled with something but I wasn't sure if I wanted to know what that something was.

"Jack Skellington! You and I have a little score to settle," said the bag.

"THAT is Oogie Boogie?" I asked.

"Damn straight it's Oogie Boogie. I'm the one and only and don't you go forgetting that," said the bag as it blinked and looked over at me.

"Let Sandy Claws go!" Said Jack.

"Who? Sandy Claws? I don't know what you are talking about." Was this guy serious or was he just playing dumb. I couldn't figure it out. He looked over at Santa Claus who was tied up. "And why is this big guy all in red here. Time to go, geezer," said Oogie Boogie. He set Santa up and started moving him towards the large black hole in the wall. Suddenly a leg was thrown onto the conveyer belt. Oogie Boogie looked at it with interest, completely forgetting about Santa Claus. He ran off in the direction the leg was thrown and there was Sally standing there. Oogie Boogie noticed this and ran towards them. We got in front of him to stop him. "I'll teach you to get in the way!"

Oogie Boogie jumped up and landed on the platform above which had a control panel. Two large magical barriers shot up around the three conveyer belts, trapping us on them. We turned around to see spikes come out of the wall at the end of the conveyer belt. Then the conveyer belt started moving, taking us towards the spikes.

"If we get caught in those we are as good as skewered," I said.

"That' won't happen!" Said Sora as he summoned his Keyblade. We spent a lot of time dodging lightning attacks, fists, and other unpleasant things like that. At one point we all got separated from each other. I was on the center conveyer belt, Sora and Jack were on the left conveyer belt, and Donald and Goofy were on the right conveyer belt. Suddenly Oogie Boogie jumped down in front of me.

"What's your name anyway?" He asked.

"Alex," I said.

"Well Alex, since you seem to be a new friend of theirs... I'm going to kill you first. Don't you feel lucky?" Oogie Boogie jumped forward and used his weight to knock me over. He got up and held my head up somewhat by the collar of my coat. The conveyer belt was slowly taking me towards the spikes. I held out my hand trying to shove Oogie Boogie away. Suddenly in front of my hand appeared a symbological circle. It was circling around my hand. Wait... I can still use symbology? "What's that you are doing?" Asked Oogie Boogie.

"LIGHTNING BLAST!" I shouted. Bolts of lightning appeared and shot through Oogie Boogie's chest. He stumbled back and the conveyer belt stopped. I summoned my sword again.

"What was that? What are you?" Asked Oogie Boogie as he stumbled back. I charged towards Oogie Boogie and slashed at him. I cut through his gut, creating a huge hole in Oogie Boogie. Bugs started pouring out of Oogie Boogie. Soon he was nothing more than just a sack with a single bug. Donald ran over and stepped on it.

"Are you okay?" Asked Goofy.

"Yeah I'm fine," I replied.

"What was that anyway?" Asked Sora.

"Yeah, I have never seen a spell like that," said Donald.

"What you saw was Symbology," I said.

"Symbology?" Asked Jack.

"Symbology is a special power which invokes spells like the one I used. It can be used for many things. From genetic engineering to combat."

"I have never heard of anything like that," said Donald.

"Anyway, Christmas is safe now," said Sora with a smile. Santa and Sally walked over to us.

"Are you two okay?" Asked Jack.

"Yes, we are fine. Thank you for your help," said Santa.

"Ah, it was nothing. We're just glad that no one is hurt," said Sora. We walked outside.

"By the way Jack. Here is your outfit," said Sally. She handed Jack a santa suit. He smiled at Sally, walked off, and then came back a little later dressed in the santa suit.

"Thank you, Sally. It's perfect!" Said Jack.

"I appreciate that you saved Christmas and me, but don't try to take over for me again," said Santa as he walked over to where we were standing.

"But I thought you could use a little help. You must be tired from all the preparations." Santa nodded.

"Yes, being Santa Claus is a very exhausting job. But seeing the happy faces of the children makes it worth the work year after year after year. We both have very important jobs to do Jack. So we have to do the best we can. Mr. Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, and the King of Nightmares! You true skills are making Halloween scary." Jack looked up with a big grin.

"Yes, I am the Master of Terror, if Halloween has become too routine then all I have to do is think of something new that will really make them scream," said Jack.

"Jack's a poet, I didn't know it," I said.

"You can say that again," said Donald.

"Jack! Oh Jack! So here you are. We need to go over the plans for next Halloween. I can't do anything without your approval after all," the Mayor as he ran over to us. Jack looked back at us, waved goodbye and walked off with the Mayor.

"Well, there he goes," said Sora. Suddenly Jack's outfit started glowing

"This is no time for jokes, Jack," said the Mayor.

"I think this is a little bit festive for Halloween. It's a bit much even for Sandy Claws," said Jack. Then Sora did that opening of that gate thing.

"You used Jack as the medium?" I asked.

"Yeah," said Sora. I sighed, using Jack as the medium for the opening of the gate... what is this world coming to? "We'd better get going."

"Before you do Sora..." Said Santa Claus. Sora looked over at him. "I believe there was friend of yours who told you that Santa Claus didn't exist." Sora smiled as he realized who Santa was talking about.

"Yeah he said that."

"Give him my best regards."

"I will... but do you know where he is?" Santa shook his head.

"No, but if you believe in Riku you will find him. Just like you found me."

"Right," said Sora. We started to leave Christmas Town and head back to where our Gummi Ship was. We looked back at the town from the top of the snowy hill.

"Christmas, what a great holiday," said Donald.

"Yeah," said Sora. I looked down at the village and around at the snowy terrain.

"Christmas, a time of many good memories," I said with a smile.

"Something on your mind?" I looked over at Sora and nodded.

"Yeah..."

* * *

_FLASH BACK _

_Luther and I were sitting at the park nearby his house. We held a huge Christmas party and we decided to go outside for awhile to get some fresh air. It was night now, wow does time fly. We sat there looking at the falling snow, drinking hot chocolate. _

"_Pretty good Christmas_, _huh?" I asked. Luther nodded. _

"_Yeah. But then again, Christmas is always a good day," said Luther. _

"_Yes of course. But I get the feeling this one is going to be one of the most memorable ones." _

"_Your probably right." We didn't say anything for a minute or so. After awhile I looked back at Luther. _

"_Hey Luther?" He looked over at me. _

"_Yeah?" _

"_Do you think that we will always be together like this?" Luther started laughing._

"_What kind of question is that? Of course we will! We work in the same company, we have our jobs for life or until we are fired which probably won't happen since the Eternal Sphere is a smashing success. We will always be together." I nodded. _

"_Yes, your right. We will always be together." _

END OF FLASHBACK

* * *

"That's right... we said that we would always be together," I said with a smile. Then I looked down at the ground as a look of sadness came onto my face. "But then... he died. I couldn't help him, I just sat totally helpless."

"Alex..." Said Sora.

"His death still weighs heavily on your consciousness doesn't it," said a voice behind us. We shot around to see a man in an all black cloak with a hood. On his face was a white mask with slits for his eyes to see through. On the right side of the mask was black thorns and the left side a gold flower. On the right eye slight was a tear that was dropping down.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

"Are you with Organization XIII?" Asked Sora. The man shook his head.

"Of course not. I would never join those fools," said the man.

"Well he must be telling the truth. I can sense that he isn't a nobody or a heartless. I sense something else though... but I can't figure out what it is," I said.

"Ah yes, perhaps I should introduce myself. My name is Raxiel," said the man as he bowed.

"You've done well Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Alex. You have provided me quite the entertaining show."

"How do you know who we are?" Asked Sora.

"I have my ways."

"So you have been watching us this whole time," I said. Raxiel nodded.

"Bingo! You got it. But I also did something else while I was here. I helped unlock your ability to use symbology."

"_So that explains what happened after we fought that Heartless..." _Raxiel took a few steps away from us.

"Well then, I must go now. I have a busy schedule to keep. May we meet again soon." Raxiel disappeared.

"Who was that guy?" Asked Goofy.

"Who knows?" Asked Donald.

"That guy...he seemed so familiar. Like I had seen him before... but why?" I asked.

"Well whoever he is, let's hope he isn't one of the bad guys," said Sora. We headed back to where our Gummi Ship was a flew off into space towards our next destination.

* * *

So where are they going next? Find out in the next chapter. Oh and unlike the previous few chapters or so, the next one will be slightly different. How so? Find out in the next chapter. Anyway, please review. 


	9. Homecoming

Thank you all who reviewed! Here is the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean or Kingdom Hearts

* * *

Chapter 9: Homecoming

The ship continued to fly through space towards our next destination. Our encounter with Raxiel was still on my mind. I wasn't sure if Sora and the others could tell but this Raxiel person was using a voice scrambling device. It's a device that can be bought in my home world. It basically scrambles the sounds that come from the users vocal chords so that they can't be identified. But why would he want to use a device like that? Was he trying to hid his identity? And how did he obtain it anyway?

"Hey look, it's the next world," said Sora.

"Yeah but..." Started Donald.

"This one seems different," said Goofy. I looked out the window. It looked like an ordinary planet. The ones that I was used to.

"Let's check it out anyway," I said.

"Yeah, Riku and the King might be down there," said Sora. He piloted the ship down onto the planet. As he landed on a large open space I gasped as I recognized the place.

"This town... it's... Arkives!" I exclaimed.

"You've been here before?" Asked Donald.

"Yeah, this is where I was born. This is my home world." We landed the ship. That alone attracted a lot of attention. Seeing Donald, Goofy, and Sora attracted MORE attention. And it seemed like I was attracting some attention too.

"Alex... why are they all starring at us?" Asked Sora.

"They aren't used to seeing ships land in the middle of a town. Plus, you guys do stick out a little bit."

"A little bit?" Asked Donald.

"He's got a point." Sora looked around. "Wow, this place seems a lot different than any other world we have been to."

"It sure does," said Goofy.

"Alex? I can't believe it!" Exclaimed a familiar voice. Flad ran over to me.

"Hey Flad, long time no see," I said.

"You know him?" Asked Sora. I nodded.

"Yeah, he's a friend of mine."

"Blair told me everything that happened. She also said that you and the Owner of the Sphere Company had died," said Flad.

"I thought I was a goner too. But then I somehow was brought back to life," I said.

"Amazing!" Said Flad with a grin on his face. "You must be indestructible, or something!" He looked over at Sora, Donald, and Goofy. "Who are these guys?"

"These are some new friends of mine."

"I'm Sora," said Sora.

"Donald Duck," said Donald.

"I'm Goofy," said Goofy.

"Nice to meet you all. I'm Flad Garrand," said Flad. He looked over at me. "By the way, Blair was here recently. She said she is going to go to the Memorial Shrine to pay respects to you and her brother."

"Thanks, I'm going to go over there and speak to her," I said. Flad nodded.

"Alright, see you guys later," said Flad as he ran off.

"Who is this Blair?" Asked Goofy.

"She is one of the people who developed the Eternal Sphere. She is also Luther's sister," I said. "Alright, let's head to the transporter to go to Memorial Shrine." I lead them towards the transporter. As we were walking the three of them looked around.

"Wow, this place is incredible," said Sora.

"Yeah, I have never even seen stuff like this before," said Donald.

"I guess it doesn't seem too strange to you since you were born here," said Goofy.

"Yeah, that's right. This seems perfectly normal to me," I said. We walked up to the transporter.

"We'd like to go to Memorial Shrine," I said.

"Yes sir, please step into the transporter," said the station guard. We walked into the transporter and we were transported to Memorial Shrine.

"Whoa," said Donald after being transported.

"That felt so weird," said Sora.

"Gwarsh, I feel kinda disoriented," said Goofy.

"The first time being transported always feels the weirdest. You'll get used to it the more often that you do it," I said. I looked around at Memorial Shrine. There were holo-screens all over the place. This place was decorated like a massive temple with a large garden.

"What is this Memorial Shrine anyway?" Asked Donald.

"This is the place of the dead. The bodies are burned and then they make a holo-screen with info about the person that died."

"So it's a graveyard," said Sora.

"That's about the size of it." I looked around until I saw a familiar person standing in front of two holo-screens. I didn't need to see them to know who those graves belonged to. I walked towards her, Sora, Donald, and Goofy followed behind me.

"It's been about a year now since you guys past away," said Blair. She looked down and sighed. "It's a shame that we had to lose you two, you were among the best programmers in all of Sphere. We could really use your help and guidance now."

"Seems like everyone jumped to conclusions a bit too soon," I said. Blair shot around as she heard my voice. I grinned. "Come on, did you really think the Eternal Sphere being deleted would take me out?" Blair ran over to me and hugged me. She looked as if she was about to cry.

"Your alive! What a relief," she said. She let go of me and took a few steps back. "So how did you pull this off? How did you survive?" I shrugged.

"Sure wish I knew the answer to that myself," I said. Blair looked over at Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

"And who are these people that you brought with you?"

"I'm Sora," said Sora.

"Donald Duck," said Donald.

"And I'm Goofy," said Goofy.

"Nice to meet you all. I am Blair Lansfeld," said Blair.

"So how are things at Sphere?" I asked. Blair shook her head.

"Not well. We decided to create another simulator world but we are having trouble creating the foundations. The original was created by Luther, and only he knows how to do it."

"And he took that secret to the grave. And who is the current Owner?"

"No one right now. It's still up in the air. But our problems don't end there."

"What else is wrong?"

"Strange black creatures have started popping up. They come out of nowhere and just attack, and always in groups."

"Sounds like Heartless," I said.

"Then we had better take care of them," said Sora.

"You'll help get rid of them?" Asked Blair. Donald nodded.

"Yup, we are pros at taking out Heartless," said Donald.

"We could use the help. I'll take you over to the Sphere Company," said Blair.

"I can do that," I said. I raised my hand and a portal of darkness appeared. Blair gave me a confused look.

"How did you do that?"

"It's an ability I have learned ever since I acquired this new body."

"A new body?" I nodded.

"Yeah, my former body got destroyed when the Eternal Sphere was deleted."

"I see... but how did you get a new body?" I shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine." I looked over at the portal. "Anyway, let's go." We walked through the portal and it closed. Next thing we knew it we were in the Sphere Company.

"So this is where you used to work?" Asked Sora.

"Yeah, this is where I have spent many years of my life. We never got that many breaks."

"Everyone is on the 5th floor. They are in for a shock when we come," said Blair. We headed over to the elevator.

"Wow, this place becomes more amazing the more we see," said Donald as he looked around.

"I guess you aren't used to these sorts of things," said Blair.

"No we aren't," said Sora. We walked into the elevator and went up to the 5th floor. We headed down to the development department and opened the door. Everyone stopped talking and starred in shock. Mostly that shock was a combination of seeing Sora, Donald, and Goofy along with seeing me.

"Alex?" Exclaimed Berial.

"I don't believe it!" Exclaimed Azazer.

"Are you immortal or something?" Asked Belzeber.

"I see you guys are all doing well. That's good," I said.

"More friends of yours?" Asked Goofy.

"Yup, these guys, Luther, Blair, and I go back a long way."

"Who are these weirdos that you have brought with you?" Asked Azazer as he looked directly at Donald.

"Who are you calling a weirdo?" Exclaimed Donald.

"Yeah, we aren't weird!" Said Sora.

"So you said there was a Heartless problem here?" Asked Goofy.

"You mean those black creatures? Yes, we have a serious problem. On the next floor we can't go two steps without getting attacked," said Azazer.

"They just suddenly started appearing. We ordered an evacuation of the building until we find a way to take care of this problem," said Berial.

"We were in the middle of discussing what to do when you guys came in," said Belzeber.

"Was anything decided while I was gone?" Asked Blair.

"We believe that someone is controlling these creatures that those weirdos call Heartless. And we think that this someone might be on the top floor. If we go there and take out the source then it will solve this problem," said Azazer.

"Let's head on up there then," I said. We all left the room and headed towards the elevator. "What I want to know is why someone would summon Heartless here..."

"That's what I was wondering," said Blair.

"It's because I am summoning them here!" Shouted a voice. Suddenly a pillar of green fire appeared and there stood a woman of some sort with a black outfit, green skin, yellow eyes, and horns sticking out of her head.

"Maleficent!" Exclaimed Sora.

"Who the hell is this ugly biddy?" Asked Belzeber.

"It's Maleficent. An evil witch who uses Heartless," said Goofy.

"More freaks, that's just wonderful," said Azazer.

"You insolent fool! You dare to call me a freak?" Exclaimed Maleficent.

"What do you want with this world? Why did you come here?" Asked Blair.

"This world is unlike any other with it's unusual technology. I have decided to make this world my own and this building shall become my castle!"

"If you think that we will just hand over the company to you, you are nuts," said Azazer.

"Really? I just sent up one of my minions to go and fetch a little girl I saw running around in the building. I am sure that you wouldn't want anything to happen to the hostage," said Maleficent with a grin.

"You! That's a coward's trick!" Exclaimed Sora. I looked over at Blair, Azazer, Berial, and Belzeber.

"Little girl?" I asked.

"Could it be?" Asked Blair.

"Maybe, let's ask," said Azazer. We looked over at Maleficent.

"What did this kid look like?" I asked.

"She was really small, had light blue hair, pointy ears that drooped down, blue outfit with a white skirt, and a spear that was much too big for her to use. Why do you ask?" Blair, Azazer, Belzeber, Berial, and I looked at each other as we recognized who she was talking about. Then we all sighed at the same time. Then Belzeber started cracking up.

"What is so funny you imbecile?" Demanded Maleficent who seemed rather mad.

"Are you a complete idiot? Who in the right mind would attack HER? Your minion is as good as obliterated," gasped Belzeber while he was laughing.

"Is this little girl that powerful?" Asked Sora. I nodded.

"Yeah, very powerful," I said. Suddenly Pete came running down from the other hallway. He looked like he was in a major panic. But when I saw who was behind him I could understand why. Lenneth was chasing him while shooting lasers at him. Pete ran behind Maleficent and looked around.

"Maleficent, we had better get out of here! There's no way we can win against that little girl!" Exclaimed Pete.

"Fool! We are not leaving this place," said Maleficent.

"B-b-b-b-but there's no way we can defeat her!" I looked over at Blair, Belzeber, Berial, and Azazer.

"Shall we take care of these clowns?" I asked. Azazer pulled out his laser gun/sword weapon.

"Yes, they don't belong here," said Azazer.

"They are starting to annoy me," said Belzeber as he pulled out his energy whip.

"We'll teach them to mess with our company," said Berial as he cracked his knuckles. Blair's hand started glowing.

"I don't like fighting but this is the only option," said Blair. I summoned my katana and Sora, Donald, and Goofy pulled out their weapons.

"I'll teach you for trying to take over my home!" I said. Pete looked over at Maleficent.

"This place is his home! He might get his Organization XIII buddies and seek revenge for this!" Exclaimed a really worried Pete.

"What are you mumbling about? That boy is a renegade, he's not with those fools anyway. Besides, we can easily defeat everyone here," said Maleficent. She raised her staff and a bunch of Heartless appeared. They slowly started crawling towards us.

"Summon as many Heartless as you want it won't make a difference," said Belzeber.

"Indeed it won't," said Lenneth as she walked over to where we were standing. The Heartless raced towards us and we started fighting them. I cut through any nearby Heartless, Blair shot powerful energy attacks all over the place at Heartless, Azazer slashed up a group of Heartless, Belzeber was pummeling Heartless left and right with his whip, and Berial pulled out his trust magical-bazooka-that-comes-out-of-nowhere and started shooting at Heartless. Sora destroyed a few Heartless with his Keyblade, Donald unleashed a fury of spells, and Goofy pounded Heartless down with his shield. Lenneth was jumping around shooting and slashing at Heartless. It didn't take long to finish them all off. We all looked at Maleficent and Pete.

"Your next!" Said Sora. Maleficent glared at us.

"You may have won this time, but I will have my revenge on you yet," said Maleficent as she disappeared in a burst of fire, Pete teleported away too. We put away our weapons.

"Ha, they didn't stand a chance!" Said Belzeber with a sneer.

"Only cowards flee," said Berial. Lenneth looked over at me.

"I heard that you had died. Yet you are standing here in front of me. How have you come back?" Asked Lenneth.

"Beats me, I still don't know how I did it," I said.

"With the Heartless out of the way we can turn our attention to more important things. Thank you for your help, Alex," said Blair.

"I don't know how you managed to return from the netherworld but nevertheless, it is good that you have returned," said Azazer. Berial nodded.

"Yes, we are having trouble with setting down the foundation for the new simulator. We can't figure out how Luther did it. I am sure that Blair told you this," said Berial. I nodded.

"Yeah, Blair told me what the situation here was," I said.

"What's so hard about it?" Asked Sora.

"Starting a simulation universe that people can enter is one of the hardest programs to create. The Creator of the Eternal Sphere, Luther, had set down the foundation which is the hardest part. But he didn't tell anyone how he did it," said Blair.

"No one else was involved in this?" Asked Donald. Berial shook his head.

"No one, except for one other person," said Berial.

"Who is this other person?" Berial looked over at me.

"Alex was the only one who was there when Luther created and set down the foundation."

"Then can't you just ask Alex?" Asked Sora. He looked over at me. "Surely you could tell them."

"Well..." I started.

* * *

_FLASH BACK _

_Luther and I stood in the darkness that was his private lab. I looked around but didn't see anything. I looked back at Luther. _

"_Not much here for the Creator's private lab," I said. _

"_That's because we haven't set anything down yet," said Luther. He held out his hand and two computers appeared with two seats. He looked back at me. "I will create and set down the foundation. In the meantime, create the textures, objects, structures, and all other data related to it. Use the blueprint that I gave you yesterday." _

"_Are you sure you don't want help with creating the foundation? That's a lot of work for just one person to do." Luther shook his head. _

"_It's fine, don't worry about it. As the officially dubbed Creator of this universe, I will set down the foundation. I am counting on you to take care of the design of this lab." I looked over the blue print. _

"_This is a rather weird concept for a private lab if you ask me. Why exactly did you want it this way?" I asked. Luther grinned. _

"_What can I say? I just like this style. I mean, I am technically the god of this new universe so it fits for someone 'divine'." _

"_Yeah, I suppose. But if you are the god of this universe what does that make me and everyone else back at Sphere?" Luther folded his arms as he thought about that. _

"_I guess all of you would be my angel servants." I smirked. _

"_Oh please, do you really see me dressing in a white robe, having wings with feathers, sitting on a cloud, playing a harp, and singing happy-flowery songs?" Luther and I didn't say anything but then a second later we burst into laughter. _

"_That's got to be one of the funniest mental pictures ever," said Luther. After we had stopped laughing he straightened up. "Anyway, we need to get to work. We have lots to do." I nodded. _

"_Yeah, we'd better get started," I said. We sat down at our computers and started working. For three weeks we continued to create programs. Blair would provide us with food programs that she had written up (along with super-highly caffeinated drinks). It helped that some programming here had been temporarily re-written so that we could last longer without sleep but it only helped a little bit. At the end of the third week we had finished. I looked over at Luther._

"_Are you ready?" Asked Luther._

"_Ready when you are," I said. Luther nodded and typed in the upload command. Suddenly thousands of lights that looked like stars started appearing. Next the platform that would be the floor appeared under our feet. After that the main terminal appeared along with the steps that lead to it, then the large pedestal the terminal was attached to and the pendulum that swung from it. After that the platforms where the status of the galaxies inside of the Eternal Sphere would be displayed appeared. And finally the outside borders of the private lab appeared. Watching this happen before my eyes was something almost unbelievable. It was almost like we really were gods creating a universe. Luther and I smiled at our accomplishment. _

"_We did it!" I exclaimed. Luther nodded. _

"_Yes, we have completed the first step," said Luther. _

"_But an empty Universe isn't too exciting now is it?" I asked. Luther shook his head. _

"_No it is not, we wouldn't get any business if we left it like this," said Luther. A screen popped up with Blair and the others looking at us. _

"_Well done you two, now we can start work on the Eternal Sphere itself," said Blair. _

"_Yes, the real work begins now," said Luther. _

"_We will transport you guys back." Luther and I started to get up but were having difficulties doing so. _

"_It's been so long since I last stood that I can barely walk," I said. _

"_Same here, my legs feel like they are solid rock," said Luther. We put an arm around each other for support. We would have both collapsed otherwise. Then we were transported back to Sphere. _

"_Welcome back, it's been awhile," said Blair. _

"_I am impressed that you were able to go that long without sleep," said Berial. Luther nodded. _

"_It was difficult but we..." Started Luther, but then he stumbled and fell to the ground, taking me down with him. I looked over at him. _

"_L-Luther? Are you okay?" I asked. The only response I got was a loud snore. I looked up at Blair. "He... fell... asleep..." My eyes closed and I fell asleep too. Luther and I slept for almost three days after that. Blair was afraid that we had died or something. _

_END OF FLASHBACK

* * *

_

"But he never told you how he did it," concluded Belzeber. I nodded.

"Yeah. I remember looking over at his computer and seeing something really complicated, it was beyond my understanding," I said. Belzeber put a hand on his forehead.

"I don't believe this! Will we never figure this out?" Exclaimed Belzeber.

"That aside, there is something I need you to see," said Lenneth. I looked over at her.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"While everyone else was down here debating, men in black cloaks went up to the top floor."

"Organization XIII!" Sora, Donald, Goofy, and I exclaimed all at once.

"Not them again! Why can't they just go away?" Said Blair as she clenched her fist. Obviously she still remembers what they did. Then again, so did I.

"They are up to no good, we had better stop them. I don't want history to repeat itself," I said.

"Oh that's right. Organization XIII is responsible for manipulating Luther. But it sounds like they did more than that. What have you been not telling us, Alex?" Asked Sora. I shook my head.

"I didn't want to tell you this, it will be a nasty shock." I sighed and then continued talking. "Because of their manipulation, billions of people died."

"WHAT?" Exclaimed Donald.

"That's horrible!" Exclaimed Goofy as he put a hand to his mouth.

"No way! That's horrible. How could they do that?" Asked Sora who seemed rather enraged about this.

"That's one reason why I am tagging along with you guys. I want to uncover the truth about what was really going on last year during the Executioner incident. I want to know why Organization XIII would go so far as to manipulate Luther into creating those monsters," I said. I looked back over at Blair. "Let's go! We have to do something about this!" Blair nodded.

"Alright, let's go. Are you all with me?" Asked Blair. Azazer, Belzeber, and Berial nodded. "Then let's go." We ran to the elevator and went to the top floor. We walked into Luther's office and looked around. It was a complete and total mess in there. Everything was destroyed and there was a hole in the ceiling.

"What happened here?" Asked Azazer.

"Looks like there was some sort of fight," said Sora.

"And there is the one who lost the fight," said Goofy as he pointed over to the center of the room. Azazer, Blair, Belzeber, Berial, and I looked over and we all gasped as we saw who it was lying on the ground. Our own goddess, the Supreme Deity, the Ethereal Queen was lying on the ground.

"NO!" I shouted as I ran over to her. I lifted her upper body up and I shook her a bit. "Are you okay? Say something!" She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at me.

"Alex? You're alive?" Asked the Ethereal Queen.

"Never mind that, what happened here? Where are the men in black cloaks?" I asked.

"They came and asked for the Angel Orb. I refused of course, something like that should not fall into just about anybodies hands. Then they threatened to steal it and attacked. One of them created the hole in the roof, and then another one of them went berserk. With all of their strength combined they defeated me and took the Angel Orb."

"You know this girl?" Asked Sora. I looked over at him and nodded.

"This woman is in fact the Goddess of this world. The staff of Sphere and her share this place. While we use it for work she uses it for a living space. We all go back a long way so she is one of our friends too," I said. I looked back at Eva (the Ethereal Queen's name.) "What exactly is this Angel Orb anyway?"

"It is an object of great power. Sealed within that Orb is the Apocalypse itself. Should the power within it be unleashed, the universe will be doomed to destruction," said Eva. She started to get up, I gave her a hand and she summoned her Angel wings so she would be floating in the air again. "Alex, Sora, Donald, and Goofy, all of you must get that Orb back. It must not be used."

"Don't worry we will get the Orb back," I said as I got up. Sora nodded.

"We will get it back! Don't you worry!" Said Sora.

"So Organization XIII must have detected this Angel Orb thing..." Started Donald.

"And they decided to take it and use it's power against their foes," said Goofy. Eva sighed.

"Those fools. The power within that Orb answers to no one," said Eva.

"Then we had better stop them before they do anything," I said. Eva nodded and smiled.

"I am counting on all of you." We saluted.

"Don't worry we will get the Angel Orb back!" Said Donald.

"So what does this thing look like exactly?" Asked Sora.

"It is a large red sphere, it's unlike anything you have ever seen before so it should be easy for you to identify," said Eva.

"Good luck out there," said Blair.

"Go give them hell," said Belzeber.

"We will be rooting for you," said Berial.

"Come back soon, we need your skills with programming back," said Azazer.

"Don't worry, I will come back when all of these events are over," I said.

"Alex," said Lenneth. I looked over at her. "I left a bundle of useful items for you and your friends at your computer on the 200th floor."

"Oh boy!" Said Donald as he jumped up excitedly.

"Thank you," I said as I bowed. We left and headed down to the 200th floor. We walked into my office. There was no one there right now and it looked like this place was starting to collect dust. I walked over to my computer to see a bundle sitting at my desk. "Here they are." Goofy walked over to my desk and opened it, he gasped as he saw the contents.

"What is it?" I asked. I looked inside and my eyes widened. "Wow..." Donald jumped up and looked in.

"Whoa..." Sora ran over and looked inside the bundle.

"No way! These are all Mega Elixirs!" Exclaimed Sora. He reached in and pulled out a small pouch. "And this is..." He opened it and looked inside. "WHOA! There is almost 10,000 Munny in here!" We all grinned and started dancing.

"We're rich, we're rich!" Exclaimed Goofy. I looked inside the bundle again to see if anything else was in there. I pulled out a... yellow rubber duck?

"A ruber duck?" I asked.

"I wonder what that is for," said Donald.

"Well maybe it has some sort of use that isn't apparent right now," said Goofy.

"Are you sure about that?" Asked Sora as he pulled out another rubber duck and looked at it.

"Well you never know, it just might," I said. I sat down at the seat in front of my computer. "This used to be my Father's office when he would work here undercover. Hiding that he was really a Nobody," I said as I activated my computer. Donald walked over to part of the keyboard.

"What does this do?" Asked Donald as he touched one of the buttons.

"Wait, Donald! Don't just type any button. You might..." I was cut off as a text box popped up.

"One result found," said the Computer.

"Display." A screen popped up. I read the title of the file that just popped up. "The Genesis Circuit?" I accessed the properties to determine what sort of file it was. "The creator of this program... my Father?" I continued searching the file. "It looks like it's some sort of blue print for creating some sort of program."

"A blue print? You mean it shows you how to build something?" Asked Sora. I nodded.

"Right, but I can't figure out what. I have never heard of the Genesis Circuit."

"Let's find out what it is."

"You read my mind." I accessed the file and looked over the Blue Print. "This is unbelievably advanced. I have never seen a program like this."

"Can you figure out what it was for?" Asked Donald. I shook my head.

"No. But if I do a search I might be able to find something." I ran a search on the computer.

"One result found," said the computer. I opened the file and a bunch of diagrams popped up. One included two rotating models of me. One was of me in my old body. The other was of me in my new body. Under the old body it said: Emulator. Under my new body it said: Original Body. One other diagram was a history of recent activities with the program, it said: "Process completed, Original Body now active. Emulator destroyed, conditions met, Genesis Circuit activated."

"Could it be... could this thing have been responsible for bringing me back?" I asked as the facts began to dawn upon me. "Now I understand. It all makes sense now. My body was destroyed but then this program quarantined my soul before it was deleted and then transferred it to where my original body was, back in Twilight Town."

"This program was responsible for bringing you back to life?" Asked Sora. I nodded.

"Yeah, this must be it. But this level of programming is beyond anything I have ever seen. My Father was a genius." But then I realized some parts didn't fit. "Wait a minute, something isn't right here."

"Yeah, how did he know that you would get destroyed?" Asked Sora.

"There is no way he could have possibly anticipated the creation and deletion of the Eternal Sphere. That's just not possible."

"This is kinda creepy," said Goofy. I nodded.

"Seriously." Just when I thought I had gotten some answers... this happens. Another question rises up. Suddenly my computer started glowing. Sora did his unsealing of the gate thing and put away his keyblade.

"We'd better get going," said Sora. I got up from my chair.

"Yup, it's time to go," said Donald. We headed back to Arkives where our ship was, got onboard, and shot off into the distance.

So Alex uncovers the truth of how he returned. But another question rises. What awaits our heroes next? Find out in the next chapter. Anyway, please review.


	10. Discovery

Thank you all who reviewed! Anyway, here is the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean or Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

Chapter 10: Discovery

Our ship started making beeping sounds. There was a text box flashing on the main monitor. We were all snapped out of our thoughts and we looked at what it said.

"Twilight Town relocated?" I asked.

"Apparently it disappeared a little while back," said Donald.

"Disappeared?" I asked. A disappearing planet? I have never even heard of such a thing (that excludes planets disappearing because they were deleted.)

"Well now that it is back let's go check it out," said Sora.

"Good idea, let's go," said Goofy. Sora changed the coordinates for the ship and it launched off towards Twilight Town. It didn't take long to get there, maybe an hour or so. I wasn't keeping track of time. We landed and got off our ship. Twilight Town hadn't changed at all. It was the same lively town as when I had last been there.

"What a coincidence. We came to this world around the same time that it was when I was first here," I said.

"That's because it's ALWAYS twilight here," said Sora.

"Whoa, really?"

"Why else would it be called TWILIGHT Town?" Asked Donald.

"Good point." I looked to my right to see a little guy wearing a blue outfit and a large brown hat running down the street.

"Help! The Sandlot! It's Seifer! Somebody please help us!" Exclaimed the kid as he ran by.

"Sounds like trouble," said Sora.

"That's for sure," said Goofy. We ran off in the direction of the sandlot. We looked around to see that Seifer and his two buddies were lying on the ground with several Nobodies in front of them. We ran between Seifer's group and the Nobodies.

"We'll take it from here!" Said Sora. We pulled out our weapons and started fighting the Nobodies. Among this batch were some new Nobodies that I hadn't seen before. One of them was a large Nobody with a large object that looked like a combination of a mace, sword, and hammer. I happened to be one of the lucky people who got to fight this Nobody... go figure. It slammed it's weapon down at me in a flurry of attacks.

"_I don't have the room to even launch a counterstrike. It's blocking of all possibilities with that oversized swinging weapon of death," _I said in my thoughts. I jabbed my katana into the sand to block the swipe of the large weapon. Then I quickly pulled my sword out of the sand and shot through the enemy's opening. I stabbed the Nobody through the gut and it disappeared. I looked over to see that Sora, Donald, And Goofy had finished off the Nobodies they were fighting.

"Impressive," said a voice. We looked over to see a man dressed in an Organization XIII outfit. "By the way... have you seen a man named Axel? I expect he is here somewhere."

"Like I care," said Sora.

"Axel is no longer acting in our best interest."

"Is he with the Organization?" Asked Goofy. The man nodded.

"Yes." Then the sun gleamed on something that was on the man's hand. I looked over to see a familiar ring. I didn't know why but it reminded me of a Disintegration Ring. He raised his hand. "Don't let your guard down. Axel will stop at nothing to turn you into a Heartless."

"Thanks for looking out for us. But we can handle ourselves just fine," said Sora.

"Glad to hear it. Axel aside, it would break our hearts to hear that something happened to you."

"But you don't have hearts." Countered Donald.

"True we don't have hearts..." The man removed his hood to reveal long blue hair, yellow eyes, and an X shaped scar across the bridge of his nose. "...but we remember what it was like. That's what makes us special."

"_That blue hair. It looks like... could it be?" _I asked in my thoughts. The man seemed to notice my gaze.

"I can tell. You are thinking about the fact that my hair color is the same as that of an old friend of yours."

"Then are you... are you Maria's Father? She mentioned that her parents were members of Organization XIII."

"That's right. I am Saïx, Maria is my daughter."

"I see..."

"Alex. You are running out of time. HE is only giving you a little more time before we act. If you know what is good for you..." Saïx raised his hand and a portal of darkness appeared. "You had better join us willingly when we come to ask you again. If you keep on resisting us you may end up in a casket. Just like your father did."

"So it was Organization XIII that killed my father!" I said.

"Bingo. Don't you think it's strange that in a world with such advanced technology that your parents weren't able to get out of that burning house?" I didn't say anything but his words made sense. They should have been able to escape but they didn't. That explains one mystery. Saïx looked back at Sora. "Sora, you just keep on fighting those Heartless."

"Hey, let's jump in after him," whispered Sora.

"What?" Asked Donald.

"I am not sure. But maybe that portal will lead us to the Organization's World."

"Don't be reckless. Do you want to end up like Riku?" Asked Saïx.

"What? Riku?" Exclaimed Sora. Saïx bowed and walked through the portal. Then it disappeared. "What did he mean, end up like Riku?"

"You know, it's actually a good thing that you didn't try to jump into that portal," said a voice. We looked behind us to see Raxiel leaning against the wall. "I have been there before and I have to say that it is a very unpleasant place. You could be walking by and you would suddenly get attacked by Heartless."

"Why were you there anyway?" Asked Donald.

"Simple. I was spying on Organization XIII. Hoping to find a way to destroy them," said Raxiel. He looked over at me. "So Alex. I presume that you found out about the Genesis Circuit."

"Yes. I did. But how did you know about that?" I asked

"I have my ways. In any case be careful. I don't know what Organization XIII wants with you or why they care about Sora so much but I would advise all of you to be careful." With that Raxiel disappeared.

"What does he want? Why is he helping us?" Asked Donald.

"Beats me..."

"Hey, how about you get out of my town now? You've caused enough trouble," said Seifer as he got up.

"Fine, have it your way," said Donald. He looked back at us. "Come on guys, let's go." We turned around and were about to take the first step when Seifer raised his voice.

"Hold it." Donald whirled around and folded his arms.

"Make up your mind!" Seifer held out a Trophy. The main part of it was like a bunch of thick twisted blue vines. On edges of the Trophy stuck out little nodes where four colored gems stuck out. A blue gem, a yellowish orange gem, a green gem, and a red gem. On the side of the trophy was a golden plaque with a bat of some sort engraved on it.

"This goes to the strongest guy in Twilight Town," explained Seifer.

"Thanks but... we really don't need it," said Sora.

"Yeah, it is your Trophy, right?" I asked. Seifer quickly ran up to Goofy and shoved the trophy into his hands. Seifer let off a quick smirk and then ran off with his buddies.

"Oh! Sora!" Exclaimed a familiar voice. We all turned around to see Pence walking towards us.

"Pence... right?" Asked Sora. Pence nodded.

"Do you know a girl named Kairi?" Asked Pence. Sora almost jumped ten feet in the air as he heard Kairi's name.

"Kairi! I sure do!"

"Rather enthusiastic response," I commented.

"It's because Kairi is going to be his girlfriend in the near future," said Donald.

"They sure do like each other a lot," said Goofy. Sora turned around wearing a bright shade of red on his face. The look on his face was rather amusing.

"N-n-n-no, I-it's not like that! I swear!" Exclaimed Sora. I folded my arms and nodded.

"Uh huh. Sure I believe you. Whatever you say. But judging from the look in Kairi's eyes when she told me about you, I'd say what Donald said my not be too far from the truth," I said.

"Then you had better come to the station," said Pence. Sora charged towards the station like a bullet fired out of a gun.

"Gwarsh, I have never seen Sora run that fast before," said Goofy as we tried to catch up.

"It IS Kairi we are talking about. He would jump head first into a pit of Heartless if it was for her," said Donald. We finally caught up with Sora and we arrived at the station.

"Heeeeyyy!" Exclaimed Hayner as he ran over to us.

"So how do you guys know Kairi?" Asked Sora.

"Well..." Started Olette. She then told us how Kairi and a yellow dog that was called Pluto shot out of a wall through a portal of Darkness. They talked and she became one of their friends.

"So Kairi was here..." Said Sora.

"Yeah and she said she was looking for you," said Hayner.

"Where is she right now?" Hayner explained how a guy in a black coat came and kidnaped Kairi. Sora looked down with a sad look on his face.

"Organization XIII, no doubt about it," I said.

"It might have been Axel," said Goofy.

"Sorry..." Said Hayner as he lowered his head.

"Hey, it's not your fault. Cheer up," said Sora. But then he lowered his head a little bit. "I've gotta help Kairi!" Exclaimed Sora as he shot up. He accidently bumped Goofy with his elbow. Goofy stumbled back and the Trophy fell to the ground. The four gems came off and began to roll away. Hayner, Pence, and Olette both caught one.

"That was close," said Pence. Sora picked up the blue gem and held it out towards the sun. Hayner, Pence, and Olette did the same thing.

Suddenly Sora changed somehow. His hair changed color and it was spiked up. He wore a white T-shirt over a black outfit of some sort. On the shirt were checkered designs around the top and the arms. His pants were a mix of black and gray. And he wore different shoes.

"Sora?" I asked. He looked over at me.

"I'm Roxas. Sora is my other side," said the boy.

"Your other..." That's when I realized what he was talking about. "You are a Nobody!" Roxas nodded.

"That's right. As expected, you are very much like your Father. Well, that's what I have heard at least."

"You know about my Father huh? Are you with Organization XIII?"

"I was, but they were boring so I decided to ditch them. What about you? You are one of the few Nobodies who have ever rejected joining Organization XIII." I lowered my head.

"After what they did, I refuse to join with them." Roxas folded his arms.

"Can't blame you for that. They did do some bad things," said Roxas.

"Yeah, but how do you know about this?"

"I am part of Sora. I know everything that is going on."

"Sora? Alex? What's wrong with you two?" Asked Goofy. I looked over at Goofy.

"Why do you ask?" I asked.

"You and Sora began having a large starring contest but you didn't say a word," said Donald.

"Starring contest? But I..." I paused. How could this be? Didn't they notice that I was talking to Roxas just now?

"What starring contest?" Asked Sora.

"Um, it's nothing," said Donald. He whipped around and looked over at Goofy. "There is something wrong with those two," whispered Donald.

Suddenly Sora's gem started glowing. Sora did that opening of the gate thing.

"What was that?" Asked Pence.

"A new road has opened. And Riku and Kairi are somewhere along it," said Sora.

"Then you had better hurry," said Olette.

"You coming back?" Asked Hayner.

"Promise," said Sora. We left Twilight and started looking for a place to go next.

* * *

Meanwhile...

* * *

Fayt and the others had returned to the plaza after doing another search. They gathered together to discuss if they had found anything or not.

"I didn't see anything strange or unusual," said Fayt.

"Nothing out of the Ordinary," said Sophia.

"I found out this place is too big," said Dr. Leingod.

"Same here," said Mrs. Leingod.

"Well I didn't see anything at the train station. But those stupid brats should learn when to put away their toys. I accidently stepped on a skateboard, slipped, and ended up at the bottom of the hill on market street. That really hurt," said Cliff.

"Not a thing. But I did find this tasty ice cream bar," said Adray as he ate a bar of sea-salt ice cream.

"We found something we overlooked previously," said Albel.

"What did you guys find?" Asked Fayt.

"There is a hole in the wall at the corner of the Tram Common. We quickly reviewed the area beyond the hole to find a forest and beyond that a mansion. We didn't go further since we decided that everyone should check this out," said Nel.

"It reeks of suspicion. I'd say we may find something there," said Albel.

"Alright, let's go check that place out," said Fayt. The group headed to the Tram Common.

Back to Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Alex...

Hollow Bastion wasn't too far form our current position. As we got closer we noticed something strange about it.

"Huh? What's with all the darkness covering Hollow Bastion?" Asked Sora.

"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this," said Donald.

"Then we should go check it out," I said. We landed on Hollow Bastion and looked around. Suddenly a group of Heartless ran by followed by a few Nobodies.

"It seems like there are more Heartless running around now," said Goofy.

"Yeah," said Donald.

"Let's go check in with everyone," said Sora. We started walking towards Merlin's house where Leon and the others would most likely be. As we got near the next area Sora recognized someone else he knew. This person had blonde spiky hair and blue eyes. He wore a black outfit of some sort. On the left shoulder was a silver wolf's head pendant of some sort that was attached to the cloth. Behind him was a massively wide sword. How does he wield something that wide anyway? "Oh! Cloud!" Said Sora.

"Watcha doing?" Asked Donald.

"I'll get him. This time we settle it. Me, and the one who embodies my darkness," said Cloud. That sure is a way to say hello to someone.

"I thought you looked kinda different, Cloud." Cloud acknowledged what Donald said and looked down at his threads.

"If I do, it's his fault."

"Whose?"

"Sephiroth. Tell me if you see him."

"What does he look like?" Asked Sora.

"He has long silver hair and carries a long sword."

"How long of a sword?" I asked out of curiosity.

"It's about six feet long." My eyes widened up in surprise.

"Six feet? How is it possible to wield something of that size?"

"Sure. Well, be seeing you Cloud," said Sora.

"Be careful. He messes with your head. Make's you think that Darkness is the only way."

"Is something wrong?" Asked Aerith as she walked over towards us.

"Uhh..." Started Sora.

"It's nothing," finished Cloud in a very quick manner. Aerith took a step closer towards Cloud. "I don't want you involved."

"You mean you don't want me there when you go away again," assumed Aerith.

"Listen. Even if I go far away, I'll come back."

"Are you sure?" Cloud hesitated. "You don't look like you are." She smiled. "Well, I understand. Get things settled. I'll be here cheering for you. Okay, Cloud?" Cloud nodded.

"Okay," he said as he walked off.

"I wonder if he will be alright..."

"He'll be fine. I am sure there is still some light in him somewhere," said Sora.

"Yes, you are right." Aerith left and we continued heading towards Merlin's house. We got there about a minute or so later. What concerned me was the amount of Heartless that would randomly run by as we headed towards Merlin's house. There weren't so many of them when I was last here. We opened the door and everyone inside turned over to face us.

"Hey fellas. You're just in time. Got some good news for ya, so get yourselves over to Leon's," said Cid.

"What kind of news?" Asked Sora.

"We found the computer that Ansem was using!" Exclaimed Yuffie in her usual loud voice.

"Oh boy!" Exclaimed Donald.

"_Ansem?" _I asked in my thoughts.

"Yep. Should be able to get all kinds of info on Heartless and the Organization," said Cid.

"Maybe Ansem's Compute will be able to tell us where Riku and Kairi are," said Sora.

"And the King," added Donald.

"Go see for yourselves," said Cid.

"It can't hurt," said Yuffie.

"What do you mean?" Asked Sora. Cid shook his head.

"Nothing. Just get to the computer room through the castle postern," said Cid. We left and started walking towards the castle. In order to get there we would have to go through the bailey and then towards the castle. Well I am not sure about that but that's my guess since I don't know anything about this place.

"Excuse me, are you with the Restoration Committee?" Asked a sudden, small voice. We turned around to see three small fairy creatures of some sort. One had long blonde hair and green eyes. Another had grey hair and red eyes. The last one had short brown hair, a green eye, and a blue eye. All three of them shared one thing in common, their size, they were girls, and they had strange fashion sense. "What's Leon's gang up to?"

"They've got stuff to do over at the castle postern," said Sora.

"Scoop!" Exclaimed the blonde haired fairy.

"Huh?" Asked Sora.

"Scoop?" I repeated to myself.

"Let's report," said the grey haired fairy.

"To who?" Asked Donald. The brown haired fairy spun around in the air.

"Our leader of course," she said.

"Yeah you know... Malef..." The grey haired fairy suddenly zoomed over to the blonde haired fairy and covered her mouth.

"Malef?" I asked. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and I looked at each other with confusion and then gave the three fairies a look of suspicion.

"Don't mind her. I assure you that we come in peace," said the grey haired fairy.

"Somehow I doubt that," I said. The brown haired fairy flew up to my face and glared at me.

"What you don't trust us?" She asked.

"Well it's kind of hard to since I don't know you... I don't even know WHAT you are." The brown haired fairy flew back away from me.

"I'm Yuna."

"I'm Rikku," said the Blonde haired fairy.

"Paine," said the gray haired fairy.

"The three of us make..." They said in unison as they spun around and started doing a bunch of strange motions. "Your friendly neighborhood something-or-others!"

"Something-or-others?" Asked Goofy.

"And you say that you come in peace?" Asked Donald.

"That's right," said Paine.

"You're kidding," said Yuna.

"Problem?" Yuna didn't say anything. "Okay then, you do the talking." Paine disappeared in a burst of light. Yuna looked back at us and bowed.

"So sorry about this!" She disappeared as well. Rikku did another strange pose and disappeared.

"I wonder what Riku would do if he found out that one of those things had his name," said Sora.

"So, does anybody have any idea what just happened?" I asked. The three of them shook their head.

"Your guess is as good as mine," said Donald.

"Could it be that Maleficent is their leader?" Asked Goofy. We paused for a second and pondered what Goofy said.

"Nah." We all said in unison.

"Maleficent would go insane if she had those things for subordinates," I said. Sora nodded.

"Yeah she can't stand happy, light things," said Sora.

"And she doesn't have the brains to make a good plan that will work," said Donald.

* * *

Meanwhile in Villains vale...

* * *

Maleficent suddenly let out a loud sneeze. Pete jumped back surprised, this was the first time he had ever seen Maleficent do something that wasn't shout at him, plot world domination, say a bunch of colorful words directed at Sora and his buddies, proclaim that darkness is supreme, or something on the lines of Heartless and destroying happy things like cute furry little bunnies.

"Do you have a cold?" Asked Pete.

"No. I just suddenly sneezed for some reason," said Maleficent. Maleficent walked out onto the balcony. "Things are going as planned. Soon it will be time to begin the attack." Outside of the castle were thousands of Heartless. They were filed into ranks and looked as if they were awaiting commands.

* * *

Switching back to Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Alex...

* * *

We continued walking towards the castle. We found a large circular platform and looked around. But there was no sign of Leon.

"Leon!" Exclaimed Sora.

"Over here," said Aerith. We looked over at Aerith.

"You guys found Ansem's Computer?" Asked Sora. Aerith nodded.

"Uh-huh. The King is very interested in it."

"The King?" Exclaimed Donald.

"He's with Leon."

"We get to see the King!" Exclaimed Donald as he started to get excited.

"Hooray!" Shouted Goofy.

"Is Riku with them?" Asked Sora. Aerith shook her head sadly.

"Oh well. At least I can ask the King, he should know where Riku is. And the Computer might be able to tell us something."

"Good idea! They're right through there." Said Aerith as she pointed over to the stair ways that lead to a dark corridor under the platform we were on. We walked down the stairs and through the corridor entrance. The corridors were dark and very much like a maze. We had a tough time getting around but we finally made it to a corridor where the color and texture changed and there was a door at the end of the hall. We opened it and walked inside.

This room was covered with broken glass bottles and test tubes, ruined equipment, bookshelves filled with books, wall decorations on the walls depicting the Heart and darkness. In the center of the room was a crescent moon shaped desk with a seat. The table was covered in books as well. At the far end of the room was a portrait of a man with long white hair that spiked up at the top and piercing amber eyes.

"Ansem..." Said Sora.

"_So that's Ansem. Is he a friend of theirs?" _I asked in my thoughts.

"Gawrsh, this must be his room," said Goofy.

"Where's the King?" Asked Donald.

"Hello?" Asked Sora.

"Hey you!" Exclaimed a sudden voice. We turned around to see a girl with long black hair and brown eyes standing in front of the door. She wore a black outfit with a black skirt and black gloves. "I'm looking for somebody. Have you seen a guy with spiky hair?" Sora pointed at his hair. The woman chuckled lightly. "Spikier." We all shrugged. "Then I will just take a look around." The girl started examining the room. Looking under shelves and turning things over. Then finally she slammed her fist into the wall, causing the room to shake. Damn, this girl is strong. "Sorry to bother you," she said as she walked past us.

"No bother Ma'am," we all said at the same time. She left and closed the door.

"So you made it," said Leon as he walked out of the shadows.

"Leon!" Said Sora. "Isn't the King with you?" Leon held a finger to his hand as if he was telling us to be quiet.

"You'll see him soon enough."

"Hey!" Protested Donald.

"This ought to tide you over," said Leon as he pressed a part of the wall. Suddenly that section of the wall disappeared revealing a passage way that lead somewhere. "Ansem's Computer Room," said Leon as he looked back over at us. We walked down the passage way towards Ansem's Computer. I didn't know why but the structure of the hall seemed very familiar. Perhaps I had seen it somewhere before... Oh right, the basement of that mansion in Twilight Town. As Ansem's Computer came into view I starred in shock.

"Wow that thing is OLD! I didn't know they still had computers that weren't holo-screens. Incredible," I said. Leon gave me a weird look.

"This thing is old?" He asked.

"Yeah, compared to what I am used to," I said.

"Where's Kairi? Where's Riku?" Asked Sora as he started randomly typing buttons. Nothing happened and Sora started slamming down the buttons.

"Easy, you wanna break it?" Asked Leon.

"Oh, sorry. Guess I got a little carried away..." Said Sora as he stepped away. I walked towards the computer.

"Let's see... how do I access the menu? Maybe this button..." I said as I started pressing buttons. I tried various things that I knew would normally bring up a menu or a set of options. But nothing happened. "That's weird. Why isn't it working?"

"Whoa!" Exclaimed Goofy as he pointed up. We looked up to see a blue creature of some sort sticking to the wall. It fell down and landed on the keyboard.

"Get off of there!" Exclaimed Donald as he jumped up and tried to knock the creature off. In the end he succeeded by then an alarm went off.

"Attention current user. This is a warning. Further misuse of this terminal will result in immediate defensive action," said a voice.

"Who's there?" Asked Sora.

"I am the Master Control Program. I oversee this system," said the voice.

"Master Control Program... wait! You are a program from this system?" I asked.

"That is correct, user," said the MCP. Donald moved his foot causing another button to be pressed down and start the alarm again.

"DONALD!" Exclaimed Sora, Goofy, Leon, and I.

"I'm sorry!" Said Donald.

"Decision gate reached. You are now under arrest," said the MCP.

"Arrest?" Exclaimed Sora.

"Listen up MCP! This is a clear violation of your programming. You cannot harm a user!" I exclaimed. The MCP ignored me. Goofy helped Donald off the keyboard.

"Run!" Exclaimed Leon.

"What?" Asked Sora as we began to turn around. Just as we did the power device behind us shot a beam at each of us. Then there was the feeling of being transported.

* * *

Our heroes are now on their way to a world unlike anything they have ever seen before. Will they be able to escape from the computer? Find out in the next chapter. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long as the previous one. Anyway, please review. 


	11. A World Inside a Computer

Thank you all who reviewed! Now it's time for the next chapter. But first...

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean or Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

Chapter 11: A world inside a computer

I opened my eyes slowly to see that I was laying down on the ground. I got back up onto my feet and looked around. I wasn't in Ansem's Computer room anymore. It was somewhere different. Everything was colored in very strange colors and the buildings and structures seemed very oddly designed. The place was screaming land of Neon Lights. There was a sky but the clouds were made of purple blocks. Out of all the worlds I have been to this one has got to be the weirdest of them yet. But something seemed so familiar here...

"What is this feeling? It feels as if I have been in a place like this before... Wait. I remember now, this is the feeling of being inside a virtual reality like the Eternal Sphere. It always had a weird feeling that I never got quite used to," I said. I looked over at a reflecting wall. I gasped as I saw my appearance. "This is my old Sphere outfit! Well... actually I don't recall having a Nobody symbol on the front of the shirt. And why is it glowing blue. Even my hair seems to have gone blue." I paused for a second. "This world IS strange, no doubt about it now." I looked down at my hand. "I wonder if I have gained my old abilities back...?" I held out my hand and a pillar of the material that made up the ground in this world shot up. "Nice! It's like I am back in the Eternal Sphere." That's when I finally realized something else that should have been obvious from when I first woke up.

"Donald! Goofy! Sora! Where are you guys?" I exclaimed. That's when I remembered something else. "Oh right, we were hit by those beams of light after the MCP said we were under arrest. If that's the case this must be the database of the computer, and I don't want to know what they do with prisoners here. I don't want to be deleted... again."

I let out a sigh and looked around. "Right, my main priority should be to find Sora, Donald, and Goofy. And avoid encounters with the guards here." I quickly ran over to a nearby platform that was connected to another one by a bridge. I hid behind the edge of the wall. I looked over to check for any guards. There were three small guards that glowed yellow and looked like they were helicopters. The first thing that I noticed was on their chest, a Heartless symbol.

"_Those things are Heartless?_ _What are they doing inside of a computer?" _I asked in my thoughts. The three Heartless were going up the bridge in my direction. Hopefully they wouldn't notice me. If they turned to their right I would be okay but if they turned to their left they will notice me. No doubt that they are looking for us. I don't want to cause a ruckus here until I find Sora and the others. Luck was on my side, the Heartless turned right and went down the hallway. I let out a sigh of relief. "That was close." Suddenly I heard beeping behind me. I saw another yellow Heartless behind me and it looked like it was ready to attack. I summoned my katana. "So much for the stealth mission."

I charged towards the Heartless and cut it in half. Fortunately I was in time to stop it from raising an alarm. But as luck would have it, a group of four red Heartless that looked like uni-cycles came around the corner and noticed me. They started beeping and an alarm went off.

"Crap!" I exclaimed as they charged towards me. I looked around and raised my hand. I need something fast that would help me get away form these guys. Suddenly a motorcycle of some sort popped up. It was glowing blue and it seemed like it was on. "That will do." I said as I ran over to it and jumped on. I didn't know quite how to use this thing but it was my only option. I figured out how the make the Bike accelerate and I zoomed off down the corridor. The Heartless followed me obviously.

I turned at the next point and headed down to a large platform that looked like a road. The Heartless caught up and were now trying to ram me. I summoned my katana again and started attacking any that got to close. I slashed one Heartless in half and skewered the one to my left. I easily destroyed the third one but the forth one was more difficult. It had was glowing silver and was much stronger. I tried to hack at it but it was too fast. I looked ahead to see that the road came to an end in the form of a dead end. Behind it was a large chasm. At the far end of the chasm was another platform area. I started going faster towards the ramp. I launched off and so did the foolish Heartless.

"Now what?" I asked. The Heartless was going much faster than I was when it arrived at the ramp so it was further ahead of me. I grinned and held my sword back. "Take this!" I exclaimed as I threw it like spear. It skewered the Heartless and the sword stabbed into the platform at the end of the chasm. Now I was starting to get closer to the platform. As I was finally over the platform in the air I smiled at my success... that is until I realized that the bike was still flying... right towards the wall. My smile faded as I saw the wall that I was about to hit. "Shit." The bike crashed right into the wall and miraculously I wasn't hurt. It hurt like hell though but I didn't have any injuries. I fell to the ground and slowly got back up. "Ugh, that hurt."

"Alex! We were worried that something had happened to you," said Sora. I looked over to see Sora, Donald, Goofy, and a man in some sort of grey outfit that was glowing blue like we were. Sora, Donald, and Goofy had outfits similar to the ones they wore before we ended up inside the computer. There were only a few differences, like Sora wore a helmet. The biggest change was that they were glowing blue like I was.

"It's good to see that you guys are safe," I said.

"I take it you know these three, you are a User too, right?" Asked the man. I nodded.

"That's right, I am Alex. And you are?"

"I am Tron, a Security Program."

"It's nice to meet you Tron. Out of curiosity, could you tell me more about this computer system?"

"Sure. This system is a copy of one created by a corporation called ENCOM. The original program was destroyed."

"So another User acquired this copy somehow."

"That is correct. The new User updated and customized the programs, renaming the system "Hollow Bastion OS." He used the system for town maintenance, and to advance his private research."

"I see. So it was Ansem."

"Ansem? How do you know that?" Asked Sora.

"It's simple. We were transported here through Ansem's Computer. Which means, logically that this is inside his computer, which means that he was the one who found the copy."

"I see..." Said Sora as if he was in deep thought. His eyes convinced me that he was in deep thought. Who is this Ansem guy anyway?

"Judging by the way you talk, your logic, and you understanding of what I told you... you are different from these three," said Tron.

"Correct. I know a lot about Computers. I have spent many years of my life as a programmer," I said.

"Excellent. Then you will be able to help us."

"Help you with what?"

"We are trying to get out of here. But the terminal is currently shut off," said Donald.

"So we are heading to the power core to activate it," said Goofy.

"I could use a hand with installing it," said Tron.

"Alright then, let's go to this power core. Where is it?" I asked.

"It's right over there." Tron pointed to an opening in the wall. We walked over to the opening and into the room. There was a large machine in the center with blocks sticking out of it. But in one section a block was missing. If we added one there, the power should be activated. "This is it."

"So what do we do?" Asked Sora.

"First we need to activate the missing part, place it in the slot, and the power will come back." I looked up at the opening to notice something.

"Hold on, there is a program blocking it off," I said. There was a glowing wall blocking off the opening.

"That's not good. That is the strongest security barrier in this system. It will take a long time to decode it," said Tron.

"No problem," I said as I used my powers to rise up into the air so that I could get closer to the barrier. I held out my hand and a screen appeared. I started typing a command to destroy the barrier and the barrier shattered. I landed back on the ground to see a shocked look on everyone's face. "What?"

"I have never seen a barrier like that deactivated so easily. And I have never seen the functions that you just used. What kind of company did you work with?" Asked Tron.

"Yeah, how did you do that?" Asked Donald.

"These are the powers that I had when I was a System Moderator. It seems like I can use them in any system for some reason. Probably because of the Genesis Circuit. They came in handy when I had to do something in the Eternal Sphere," I said.

"Eternal Sphere?" Asked Tron.

"It was a massive program that was essentially a virtual reality for Users to go into," I said.

"So it's like this system."

"In a sense yeah, but the Eternal Sphere was a lot bigger."

"But then it was destroyed," said Sora. I nodded sadly.

"Yes, my life's work, down the drain." I looked over at Tron. "Anyway, you can activate this part, right Tron?"

"That's right. Hold on a second." Tron walked over to the terminal and started typing something. The part started glowing a light red color. Then Sora raised his Keyblade and the part followed. Sora guided it into the opening and then the terminal sunk into the ground and all the lines on the ground started glowing blue.

"Mission Accomplished?" Asked Sora. Tron nodded.

"Yes. Now... will you do something for me?" Asked Tron.

"Sure thing."

"Don't you want to hear what it is first?" Asked a rather shocked Tron.

"You helped us! Now it's our turn," said Donald.

"You guys really are Users. Your actions are totally illogical."

"Well, that's the way we Users are," I said.

"Let's hurry back to the pit cell."

"Pit Cell?"

"It's where we met Tron," said Goofy.

"Ah," I said. We headed back to the Pit Cell where Tron started activating the terminal.

"So what did you want us to do?" Asked Sora.

"Find my User. He'll give you the password to access the DTD," said Tron.

"You bet!" Said Donald.

"DTD is the name my User gave to the data space. Copes of all the original system programs are stored there along with anything sensitive or restricted."

"So there could be info on the Heartless and Organization XIII," said Goofy.

"Most likely." Tron got up and looked over at us. "A number of my functions were appropriated when I last took on the MCP. That's why I need the password. If I

can get inside the DTD, I can access my original backup program and restore all my functions. Then, I'll be able to put this system back the way it was before the MCP got control and changed everything. The way it was supposed to be, a free system for you, the Users."

"Gee Tron, ain't the MCP one of those programs? Do you know who made it?" Asked Goofy.

"Actually..." Tron Paused. "I don't know."

"Okay, we'll just have to find your User and ask him. What's his name?" Asked Sora.

"I think you already know. We talked about it earlier."

"So it is Ansem, just as I thought," I said. "So let's go find Ansem. I am sure he will give us the password due to the current situation," I said. Sora, Donald, and Goofy didn't say anything. Suddenly the terminal started flashing.

"Looks like the MCP is on to us. I'll keep this terminal up and running. You better exit the system now," said Tron.

"Sure... But Tron... Ansem is..." Started Sora.

"We'll get you that password!" Said Donald.

"Okay, you are good to go," said Tron. Suddenly we were transported back to Hollow Bastion. We were right where we had been before we were sucked into the computer, Ansem's Computer Room.

"We did it!" Exclaimed Donald as he realized that we had returned.

"Where have you four been?" Asked Leon.

"Well..." Started Sora.

"I will explain this," I said. I quickly summarized the situation.

"I see. So Ansem's research data is off-limits unless we have the password," said Leon.

"It's no problem, right? We can just find him and ask him? If he has a computer here then he must live here. He can't be too far," I said. Everyone had a strange look on their face. "What?"

"You guys never really explained anything to him, did you?" Asked Leon.

"Oh yeah, we never did tell you anything about our previous journey," said Sora. Sora, Donald, and Goofy quickly explained to me their journey.

"I see... so Ansem was a bad guy," I said.

"Yup," said Goofy.

"And if he is defeated we can't get the password," said Leon.

"Gawrsh, maybe we'll never find the password," said Goofy.

"So this is nothing but a wild goose chase," said Leon.

"You're chasing what now?" Asked a voice. We looked over to see the girl from earlier. "Well, well, a Hidden room! Guess I'd better take another look around." She quickly left.

"Who is she anyway?" I asked.

"That's Tifa. We don't know much about her," said Leon.

"Let's go look for that password," said Donald.

"We can't give up yet," said Sora. We went back to Ansem's study to see that Tifa was vigorously searching the room again.

"She's not giving up either. Perfect example of Gung-Ho," I said.

"Seriously," said Sora.

"Excuse me," said Tifa as she picked up the portrait of Ansem off the wall.

"Wow, she's strong," said Goofy.

"Wow..." Said Donald in amazement. As the wall behind the portrait was revealed strange drawings were revealed. Tifa punched the wall but nothing happened. She sighed and walked off. We walked over to look at the drawing.

"What's this doodle?" Asked Sora.

"Hollow... Main...Security... Tron... Door... To..." Read Donald. The writing was very blurry, it was hard to do tell what some of the words said.

"Looks like a diagram," said Goofy.

"Door... To... Darkness?"

"Oh!" Exclaimed Sora. "D... T... D..."

"Of course! That's the name that Tron mentioned!" I said.

"DTD!" Said Donald and Goofy at the same time.

"What's up?" Asked Leon.

"Look at this! This must be the data space! The DTD. See? The Door to Darkness!" Said Sora.

"What do you know? But... that still leaves the password."

"Did someone mention the Door to Darkness?" Asked a high-pitched voice. We turned around to see a mouse with large, round ears. He wore an Organization XIII outfit.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"That's the King," whispered Sora.

"Ah," I said.

"Your Majesty!" Exclaimed Donald and Goofy. The King held his hand up as if telling us to be quiet. He took off his hood and closed the door. Donald and Goofy rushed over to him and embraced him in a hug. After a second or two they let him down.

"Long time no see," said Sora.

"Shh," said the King. "The Organization might be listening." He looked over at me. "So you must be Alex. I heard about you. I am King Mickey, of Disney Castle," said the King in a quiet tone. I quickly bowed.

"Nice to meet you, Your Majesty," I said.

"Likewise." King Mickey looked over at Sora. "Now, you mentioned the Door to Darkness?"

"Yes sir, we have been looking for the secret password," said Goofy.

"Password?" Sora, Donald, and Goofy sighed in defeat.

"It's a code that prevents unauthorized access to data on a computer," I explained.

"A code, just as I thought," said King Mickey. "Well the Door to Darkness can only be opened by the seven princesses. There's Snow White, Jasmine, and Belle..."

"Of course..." Said Leon as he realized what the password is.

"I get it. The password is the names of the seven princesses... whoever they are," I said.

"What are you trying to do?" Asked King Mickey.

"We need the password to access Ansem's research data," said Sora.

"So that means you might be able to find out where he is."

"Stop Jokin' around, Your Majesty. We've already defeated Ansem. You know that," said Sora with a smile. King Mickey had a grave look on his face.

"Looks like I've got a lot of explainin' to do," said King Mickey as he folded his arms.

"We're listening, Your Majesty," said Donald.

"Okay, but first... I've got a question," said Sora.

"Hey, isn't Tron waiting for you guys?" Asked Leon. We looked behind us to see that he had returned. We looked back at the King.

"Don't worry. I'm not goin' anywhere. If those Heartless attack, I'll stand and fight with everybody here," said King Mickey.

"Yeah... we will too," said Sora.

"Then let's talk more later."

"That's a promise," said Donald.

"I'll see ya when you get back." King Mickey looked up as if he had remembered something important. "Oh! One more thing. Let me give your clothes some new powers, Sora."

"Really?" Exclaimed an excited Sora.

"You bet! Consider it... a thank you present for everything you have done." King Mickey held out his hand and Sora started glowing with yellow energy.

"Thank you!" Said Sora.

"Oh and one more thing. This is for you Alex," said King Mickey as he pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to me. I took it and looked at it. It was a key chain of some sort. It had along string of chain linked together and was silver. On the bottom was a sun emblem that was all black, might be made of onyx. On the emblem was strange runes but I couldn't read them.

"Whoa, it's pretty," said Goofy.

"What exactly is this thing? Some sort of charm?" I asked. King Mickey shrugged.

"I don't know, Alex. I met a guy named Raxiel and he told me to give this to you. He said that it will come in handy," said King Mickey. I closed my hand around the key chain.

"I see..." Who is this Raxiel person anyway? I put the key chain away in my pocket.

"We're heading off to see Tron now, so wait here for us, okay?" Asked Sora.

"I will, Sora. And Remember, be careful!" Said King Mickey. We nodded and walked back over to the computer room. We activated the terminal and we were drawn into the computer. We arrived at the pit cell but Tron wasn't there.

"Gawrsh I wonder where Tron is," said Goofy. Goofy walked towards the terminal.

"Don't touch that!" Exclaimed Donald.

"Yeah maybe we should let Alex take care of that..." Sora was cut off as the terminal started beeping. "Goofy!" Suddenly we were all transported. Next thing we knew it were in a strange place that looked like a large glowing grid.

"I didn't touch nothin," said Goofy.

"Welcome to the game grid," said a voice.

"Game grid?" Asked Sora.

"That's right. You've been chosen to play a few games. Lose, and you will be subject to immediate de-resolution. Win?" The voice started to chuckle. "No one wins." De-resolution? Not to sure what that is but it sounds like being deleted and I don't want to be deleted... again.

"Up yours! What makes you think you are all so high and mighty?" I shouted.

"Yeah! We're not gonna play your games!" Shouted Donald.

"You have no choice," said the voice.

"Then get on with it!" Shouted Sora. Suddenly a large cannon heartless of some sort that glowed purple popped up and shot at us. We dodged it and the blast hit the wall, creating a large hole. "Alright, we can get through there." Suddenly a group of motorcycles from before shot up out of nowhere. We looked at each other, nodded, and got onto the bikes. We activated them and shot down the path towards the hole. As we got near the large exit a wall appeared after that we all were suddenly separated.

"Crap!" I shouted. I looked behind me to see Heartless coming. I accelerated and zoomed down the road. "I'm just gonna have to play that bastard's game... for now at least. I don't have time to hack any of these walls." Another wall came up. I turned to avoid it only to see a group of Heartless waiting for me. They accelerated towards me. I summoned my sword and slashed at any that got to close. Another wall popped up but it was made out of pipes filled with liquid. I grabbed one of the Heartless with my hand and dragged it along. I let go of it as we neared the wall, causing it to crash into it. As it crashed I snapped my fingers, using a flare spell... but little did I know that the liquid in those things were flammable. There was a massive explosion behind me. "I think I over did it!" I dodged the next row of bars and stabbed through a Heartless. I was concerned about the others but then I quickly realized that I should focus on getting out of here first. They will be fine.

A bunch of Heartless caught up to me and started ramming me from ever side. I grinned as I pressed the shield button. A green sphere appeared, throwing all the enemies into the walls, causing them to explode. I raised my hands and put my thumbs down.

"Shut down" I exclaimed. I saw a group of Heartless rushing towards me in a line. I smiled and held my sword out like a lance. I stabbed skewered them and then looked at my sword. "Heartless shish-kabob... yum, yum," I said sarcastically as I tossed them off my sword. Next was a tight turn followed by a straight path filled with the flammable poles. I looked behind me to see more Heartless coming. I looked at the poles and then I got an idea. I waited for the Heartless to get closer, then I sped up and as I got out of all the poles I snapped my fingers and hit a nearby one with a flare spell. I didn't need to see it to know there was a chain of explosions caused by that one flare spell. Any Heartless in there have now been blown to kingdom come.

I looked up to see paths combining with my path. Sora, Donald, and Goofy came from the others paths. I caught up to them and we went through the exit. We were transported back to the pit cell. Tron was lying on the ground.

"Tron!" Exclaimed Sora. Tron slowly got up and gave us a confused look.

"I don't understand. Why are you here?" Asked Tron.

"We came to give you the password."

"Why didn't you just transmit the data?"

"Transmit?" Asked Donald.

"Beats me, we just felt like giving it to you directly I guess," I said. Tron fell but Sora caught him.

"Hey, are you okay?" Asked Sora.

"I'll be alright. Once we access the DTD," said Tron.

"Then let's go. Where is it?" Asked Goofy.

"It's in the canyon." Tron got up and we headed to the canyon. Then we headed left to the red building and walked into the data space. Tron walked up to the terminal and accessed it. "What's the password?"

"Belle, Snow White..." Started Donald.

"Aurora, Alice, Jasmine, Cinderella," continued Goofy.

"Kairi," finished Sora.

"Kairi... got it," said Tron. There was a loud beep. "That did it." Suddenly an alarm went off.

"Now switching DTD over from hibernation to active mode. This process will take some time. Please enjoy a game while the process is running," said the computer.

"Okay... so how do we access solitaire?" I asked.

"Not that kind of game, dummy!" Exclaimed Donald.

"Not another game!" Exclaimed Sora.

"No, it's the DTD's final security routine. This is not a game. Stay focused!" Said Tron. Suddenly the three screens in this place started glowing with the Heartless symbol.

"We should be able to stop this 'game' if we break the seals on the screens," I said.

"Alright, I will take care of the main screen, you guy scan take care of the other two," said Tron.

"Alright," said Sora. He looked over at me. "Alex, take care of the right screen. We'll take care of the left screen."

"Got it, " I said as I ran over to the screen. Suddenly Heartless popped up as well. I summoned my sword and cut through any that were in the way. Finally I arrived at the screen, pulled up a menu, and destroyed the seal. Sora and the others had just finished breaking the seals on their screens as well. Tron places his hand on the terminal and data started flowing from it, to him. He looked back at us.

"I'm as good as new! All my functions have been restored!" Said Tron happily.

"Oh boy!" Said Donald as he jumped into the air. Suddenly an alarm went off and a blast shot down at us from the screen. We managed to dodge it though.

"Finally. I have full access to the DTD. My takeover of the system is now complete! I might have anticipated such a simple password. What's this? An emergency destruct program for the town. Let's see how it performs," said the MCP.

"Dammit, it was waiting for us to make our move," I said. Programs rebelling against the system... where have I heard this story before? Well... comparing Fayt and the others to the MCP would be an insult to them. Sora gasped as he heard what the MCP said.

"No!" Exclaimed Tron as he rushed up to the board and it started glowing as he typed something. Then the alarm stopped.

"Program! You changed the password!" Exclaimed the MCP.

"Tron! Tell us what's going on!" Said Sora.

"The MCP is loading a hostile program into the I/O tower!" Said Tron.

"What do we do?" Asked Donald.

"We've got to protect the User Town," said Tron. We all nodded. "Let's head to the I/O tower!" Exclaimed Tron. We ran back to the Canyon and used the transporter to go to the large tower in the distance. As we walked into the main area outside of the terminal area we saw a large machine of some sort that looked like a doomsday bot or something like that. Must be the hostile program that Tron was talking about.

"I'm disappointed in you, Program. Why do you insist on allying with these selfish Users?" Asked the MCP.

"Because I want to help them. Something written into my code commands me to do what is right."

"Really? And what would that command be?"

"I can't really say for sure."

"Friends, they help each other, that's all," said Sora. The hostile program started moving and looked like it was ready to attack.

"Uh oh, look out!" Shouted Goofy. Suddenly, a huge beam of red light shot out of nowhere and went right through the program. It exploded in a burst of light.

"What happened?" Asked Tron. Donald looked around and then gasped.

"Never mind that, what is that thing?" Asked Donald as he pointed up. As I looked up I gasped as I saw what it was.

"It... it... can't be..." I said. There was... an Executioner flying in the air. It roared triumphantly at it's victory over the program. Then it disappeared. I fell to the ground after seeing that unusual sight. "How... how did one of those things get here?"

"Alex? What's wrong?" Asked Sora.

"That was one of the creatures that whose creation brought about the end of the Eternal Sphere. It would be what lead to his death..." I said.

"You mean Luther's death..." Said Donald gravely. I nodded with a sad look on my face.

"Yeah..." I looked behind me to see a familiar face. There stood a transparent hologram of Luther. He took a look at me and started walking away. I got up and ran over to him. "Wait!" He stopped and looked back. "Even now... even after you have passed away. You still want to help out a friend... thank you," I said with a smile. Luther grinned, waved goodbye, and disappeared.

"Who was that?" Asked Tron.

"That was... an old friend of mine. He died about a year ago." Tron didn't say anything.

"What was that anyway? If he is dead how did he get here?" Asked Goofy.

"That was a temporary program," said Tron. We looked over at him. "It is designed to activate under certain conditions and then once it's purpose is fulfilled it is deleted."

"So someone placed a program of Luther and that Executioner to help us in case the MCP tried to do something like this," I said.

"Most likely. But who?" Asked Tron. We headed into the terminal room. Tron looked back at us. "I really owe you one. With all my functions up and running, I think I've got a chance of getting system control away from the MCP. Now I'd better get to work. It's what my User would want."

"What Ansem would want," said Sora. Sora looked as if he was in thought and then he spoke again a few seconds later. "Listen, Tron. We didn't get the password from Ansem. We just sort of found it, back in the User world. By accident. And one more thing... Ansem, he was our enemy. I mean... he still is... I guess..."

"Well actually..." Tron turned around. "He's my enemy too."

"What do you mean?" Asked Sora.

"Ansem took ENCOM's original system and customized it for his own use. I was part of the original system, and Ansem modified me too. So that makes him my User."

"Yeah," said Donald.

"But Ansem is also the one who brought back the MCP. The Ansem I first knew wouldn't do that. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

"No it's fine," I said.

"Now I REALLY don't get it," said Sora.

"_Something smells really fishy about this. Is there a possibility that someone else was responsible for bringing the MCP back?" _I asked in my thoughts.

"I don't... understand it either," said Tron. "But I think Users, like you, are going to be the ones who will finally figure it out. You have the ability to take illogical routes and still arrive at the answers you seek. Now go, before the MCP starts acting up again! Any data you need can be accessed directly through my User's terminal. I'll keep a dedicated access channel open for you. I changed the password so you won't have to worry about the MCP for awhile."

"Access channel?" Asked Sora.

"I knew that you'd ask," said Tron with a chuckle. Tron pressed a button. "It's a very important link between our worlds. It's how we stay connected." Suddenly we were beginning to be transported. "You, my friends, are the new password," said Tron.

"Thanks Tron! Take care!"

"You too! Give my best to the Users." We were then transported back to Ansem's Computer room.

"Well that's that," said Sora.

"Look," said Leon as he pointed at the screen in the back. There were four sprites that looked like Sora, Donald, Goofy, and I. Under that was a message that said: Thank You!

"Tron... hang in there."

"Where do we start?" Asked Leon.

"Let's access the DTD." Leon started typing. "The King is out checking the situation in town. He'll be back soon so don't worry." There was a beep. "Hey, it' asking for a password."

"That's easy. It's Sora," started Sora.

"Donald," continued Donald.

"Goofy," added Goofy.

"Alex," I finished.

"That's... to the point," said Leon as he typed in our names. There was another beep.

"Well?" Asked Sora. Leon turned around to face us.

"That did it. We're in. I have to go into town. Need to see what that last shakeup did."

"You aren't going to check out the data? It wasn't exactly easy to get."

"I'm coming right back," said Leon as he started walking. He looked back at me. "Alex, why don't you get started on loading the data and copying it onto a disc. Use this," said Leon as he threw a multi color disc towards me. I caught it and then Leon left. I started browsing the DTD, looking for important data.

"Okay, so what do you guys want to search for?" I asked.

"Riku and Kairi!" Said Sora. I typed in the names in the search engine and a message popped up saying: Data Error. I looked back at Sora.

"Sorry man. There isn't any info on them."

"Even Ansem's Computer doesn't know..." Said Sora as he went into a slump.

"What about the Nobodies?" Asked Goofy.

"I can try..." I said. I typed in Nobody into the search engine and a box popped up with the Nobody logo along with various notes. It was mostly info we knew already. Then there was static as a sound clip came up. "Wait... I hear something..."

"Ienzo, is everything prepared?" Asked a voice.

"Yes, we can start at any time," said another voice. "Where is Dilan?"

"He is out gathering a test subject or two. We need them to test their..." Then the clip faded out into static. And then a red message popped up that said: "That data is corrupt."

"What was that?" Asked Donald.

"That was kind of scary," said Sora.

"What about the Organization?" Asked Goofy. I typed in Organization XIII.

"The data is corrupt," said the Computer.

"Stupid Computer!" Shouted Sora. As he slammed his fists down on the computer keyboard.

"Geez, Sora. Don't destroy the computer," I said as I took a step back. Suddenly a picture of an old man in a lab coat appeared. He had blond hair that was streaked back smoothly and orange, amber eyes that seemed so familiar.

"Who's this guy?" Asked Sora.

"I see you managed to get things working," said King Mickey as he walked over to us.

"Your Majesty!" We all said. King Mickey shushed us.

"Good goin, the Computer should tell us the things we need to know," said King Mickey.

"All we found was that picture and a scrambled up audio clip," I said.

"The data is all ker-skuffled," said Goofy. King Mickey looked at the picture and leapt up into the air.

"Ansem the Wise!" Exclaimed King Mickey. Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked at each other.

"Come on, are you teasing us again?" Asked Sora.

"Don't you remember what Ansem looked like?" Asked Donald.

"Of course I do! And that's him!" Said King Mickey. Sora grabbed the King and dragged him back to the study.

"THIS is Ansem," said Sora as he showed the portrait to Mickey. "You know, the guy we all worked reeeally hard to defeat?"

"Oh that's right. I never finished explaining."

"What?" Asked Donald out of curiosity.

"Well, the man in this picture is the one who tried to take over Kingdom Hearts, the one you fellas defeated. No mistaking that."

"But what you actually fought was just his Heartless. Ya see, he really wasn't Ansem. He just went around tellin' everybody that he was."

"You mean..." Started Sora.

"Ohh..." Said Donald.

"Hmm..." Said Goofy. There was a long pause.

"Whaaaaaaat?" Exclaimed Sora, Donald, and Goofy all at the same time.

"We went through all that trouble to defeat an imposter?" Exclaimed Sora.

"Well that sucks," I said.

"Yep, a fake. But still, he had to be stopped," said King Mickey.

"I can't believe this," said Donald.

"If he is a fake, what happened to the real Ansem?" Asked Goofy.

"Well, that's just what I am trying to figure out. Ansem the Wise should know all about Organization XIII's plans and what's been happening to the worlds. I'm pretty sure he'll give us some help. Ya' know. I came close to finding him once," said King Mickey.

"There's more? I'm lost enough as is!" Exclaimed Sora.

"I get it. Some feller named Ansem, who wasn't really Ansem, became a Heartless. Which means that..." I gasped as I realized what Goofy was saying.

"That means that a Nobody might have been created too... if he had a strong will..." I said.

"Yup! And that Nobody is the leader of Organization XIII," said King Mickey.

"WHAT?" Exclaimed Sora, Donald, Goofy, and I. King Mickey looked back at the picture.

"I now that I have met this fake Ansem before, and I've seen the leader of Organization XIII, too. Hmm, kind of felt like being around the same fella."

"So where did you meet this guy?" Asked Sora.

"Gosh... I can't remember." We all sighed. "Ansem the Wise, the REAL Ansem, MUST know the imposter's true identity. That's why I've got to find him and ask him about it."

"You have met the leader of Organization XIII, right? What is he like?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Well... he is powerful. Very powerful. He has a very dangerous aura about him, it makes the air thick." Mickey looked back at me. "If you are thinking of fighting him if you ever do meet him, you had better think twice. He's is way to powerful for just one person to take him down."

"I'll be sure to remember that," I said.

"You..." Said Sora angrily as he looked at the painting. "You started all of this. Because of you, Riku and Kairi..." I couldn't blame Sora. I was thinking the same thing. It was this guys fault that things had come down to the way they are now, it's his fault that the Executioners ever existed, it's his fault that Luther died. But pinning blame won't change a thing. It's better not to dwell on thoughts like those. "Oh Your Majesty!" Said Sora. King Mickey looked over at him. Do you know where Riku is?" Mickey looked down and was silent.

"He's... I'm sorry... I can't help you..." Said King Mickey.

"Really? Are you sure, Your Majesty?" Asked Sora.

"I'm sorry Sora..."

"What about Kairi? Organization XIII kidnaped her!" Said Sora. King Mickey jumped in the air in shock.

"Oh no!" He looked back at the painting. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, Alex, I was planin' to go get help from Ansem the Wise. But now I know... I forgot the most important thing. Helping others should always come before asking for help. We are safe and sound... free to choose. So there's no reason we shouldn't choose to help our friends!"

"You got that right," I said. Donald and Goofy nodded.

"Let's look for Riku and Kairi together." Suddenly there was a large explosion.

"Outside!" Exclaimed Sora. Mickey looked around.

"Sounds like we've got to start by helping out around here!" Said Mickey. We pulled out our weapons and rushed towards the exit.

* * *

So now it's come down to one of the best parts in Kingdom Hearts II... Will our heroes be able to fight off whatever the danger is? What other unexpected twists and turns will occur? Find out in the next chapter, please review. 


	12. Heartless War

1Thank you all who reviewed! Now it's time for the next chapter. But first...

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean or Kingdom Hearts

* * *

Chapter 12: The Heartless War

As we arrived at the large room in the maze of hallways we saw Heartless and Nobodies fighting each other. Based on how the battle was going, the Nobodies were slaughtering the Heartless. Maleficent seemed to be leading them. But Pete couldn't be seen anywhere. She noticed that we were there.

"Heartless. Leave the white ones, turn your attention to Sora and his friends!" Said Maleficent. With that, Maleficent vanished. The Heartless stopped what they were doing and started charging towards us. Amongst this group was a new type of Heartless. It looked like it was in light blue armor and it was carrying a large sword.

"Uh-oh," said Goofy. We pulled out our weapons and got ready to fight. I think this is the first time that we have ever had to fight both Heartless and Nobodies at the same time. But the Nobodies seemed more focused on the Heartless instead of us. While we would be fighting a Heartless a Nobody would jump towards that Heartless and destroy it. Eventually though we did defeat the group. We looked over to see the small fairies Yuna, Rikku, and Paine fly down the other hallway and into the room we were currently in.

"Where's Maleficent?" Asked Yuna.

"Looks like she ran away," said Sora.

"Well that was PRETty lame of her," said Rikku.

"I guess we picked the wrong side," said Paine. Then they turned around in a circle formation and started debating about something. But since they were all talking at once we couldn't understand a word they were saying.

"Hey, if you guys are looking to pick sides, why don't you pick Leon's? They can always use help," said Sora. They stopped talking and turned around to face us.

"Does this Leon have any treasure?" Asked Yuna.

"Yeah, lot's of stuff!" Said Donald.

"Perfect!" Exclaimed Rikku happily.

"Come on," said Paine.

"Later Taters," said Rikku as the three of them disappeared.

"Did Leon really have any treasure?" Asked Sora. I could hear Donald snickering as he walked towards the exit. I sighed.

"Let's hope they don't figure out the truth," I said. We continued on and we arrived at the recreation site. There were more Heartless here too. Up ahead was Leon on the others who were fighting Heartless. We rushed towards them while slashing through any Heartless that got in the way. Aerith looked over at us as we stopped.

"Behind you!" She said as she pointed. We looked behind us to see a group of Nobodies. These ones were different, they were pink and floated around as if they were ice skaters on an ice skating rink. One of them charged at us and swiped at us with it's claws.

"Whoa!" Exclaimed Sora as he dodged the attack. Suddenly something slipped out of his pocket. Goofy picked it up.

"It's one of those things we got at Alex's home world," said Goofy.

"Want to give it a try?" Asked Donald.

"Sure, it couldn't hurt," said Sora. He activated it and then threw it at the Nobodies. Sora looked at me. "So what will this thing do?" I shrugged.

"I don't know. Probably stun the Nobodies and have a big bright flash," I said. But I couldn't have been more wrong. The tiny little duck bomb exploded, leaving a crater where the Nobodies once were.

"Gawrsh, I think it did more than just stun the enemy," said Goofy.

"It obliterated them," said Donald.

"That's a little bit overpowered, don't you think?" Asked Sora. I nodded.

"Yeah..." I said, still stunned at what one of those little things had done.

"What exactly did you guys do?" Asked Leon. We looked over at him to see that the Heartless he was fighting were defeated and now he was starring at the large crater that was behind us.

"We tried out an item we got at Alex's Home World and... we didn't expect for it to be so powerful," said Sora.

"Right... Just try not to use one of those in this area. The Heartless have caused enough damage already," said Leon.

"Yes sir!" We all said at once.

"The King's in the bailey. You better head over there!" We all ran over there (including Leon who got ahead of us) and gaped at the destruction the Heartless had caused. The large bailey that once stood as a stronghold had been turned to ruins. There was now a hole in the wall that lead outside of the town. In the distance you could see a strange looking castle along with the light blue/purple rock terrain.

"Whoa..." Said Sora. We could see Heartless all over the place. Leon and the others were fighting the Heartless. "Leon, everybody, hang in there." We were about to start running into the battle when suddenly King Mickey jumped down with his back turned to us and his arms outstretched.

"Okay fellas, you've gotta go find Riku and Kairi!" Said King Mickey.

"But Leon and the others are our friends too!" Protested Sora.

"Don't worry. There's already lotsa help here. We'll take care of this fight."

"But... I promised Leon!"

"We want to help them too," I said.

"Donald! Goofy!" Donald and Goofy straightened up. "Take Sora and get goin'!"

"Riku... Kairi... give me a little time, okay?"

"Your Majesty!" Said Donald.

"We understand. We'll go search for Riku and Kairi!" Said Goofy.

"Right. Watch for danger!" Said King Mickey.

"You be careful too," said Donald.

"Wait you guys!" Protested Sora.

"Sora, do as you're told!" Said Donald.

"Your comin' with us whether you want to or not!"

"C'mon Sora, you gotta be good," said Donald. Then Donald winked. Sora caught on and so did I.

"Yeah Sora, let's go look for Riku and Kairi," I said as I played along.

"Gotcha," said Sora.

"Well then, skedaddle!" Said Goofy. Sora smiled and mouthed: Thank you. We gave him the thumbs up.

"Let's go!" Said Donald. We started running... but towards the battle. Right into the cliffs where the enemies would be waiting for us.

"Sorry, Your Majesty," shouted Sora as we headed down towards the castle gate. We stopped as we saw a portal of darkness appear. There was a guy with light brown hair, blonde streaks, green eyes, and a mullet. His outfit hinted everything we needed to know: He was with Organization XIII. He jumped back in shock as he saw us. He also looked nervous and unsure of what to do.

"Hey, you guys are looking lively," he said in a friendly voice. He looked over at me. "Ah, Alex! Good to see you!" He disappeared and then reappeared right in front of me. He grabbed my hand and started shaking it. "I'm Demyx, it's nice to meet ya!" He let go of my hand and disappeared, causing me to fall. I got back up as he disappeared. "And I hate to be the bearer of bad news but..." Demyx pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "According to our leader... your time is up, Alex." He crumbled it and threw it away. "So you won't be walking out of here today as a free man."

"That's what you think," I said.

"Scram!" Said Donald.

"Didn't we catch you messing around in the Underworld? How did a wimp like you get into Organization XIII?" Asked Sora. Demyx jumped back, acting all scarred. "I bet you can't even fight."

"Yeah, but we can!" Exclaimed Donald. Demyx started waving his finger.

"You shouldn't judge anyone by their appearance," said Demyx. We pulled out our weapons. Demyx stepped back. He turned around. "I told them they were sending the wrong guy," he whined.

"Who is this kook?" Asked Sora.

"Remember, the Organization is made up of Nobodies," said Goofy.

"Right, no hearts!" Said Sora.

"Oh we do too have Hearts. Don't be mad..." Said Demyx.

"You can't trick us!" Said Donald. Demyx turned around and when he looked at us again his face had changed. He now had a cold look on his face. He then pointed at Sora.

"Silence Traitor." He raised his hand and threw up a silvery... sphere... wait a minute...

"The Sacred Orb? It can't be!" I exclaimed.

"That's right. We raided your precious Eternal Sphere. We got all sorts of neat stuff," said Demyx as the Sacred Orb started glowing and then it remained floating in the air. A dome of water rose around Demyx. It all rushed together and formed into a massive guitar.

"_Oh no. The Sacred Orb is a water element OPA. Demyx's power is going to increase multiple fold with it." _I said in my thoughts. He started playing a tune on his guitar.

"Dance Water, Dance!" He shouted as a bunch of water clones of himself popped up and surrounded us. I slashed through one, dodged the attack of one of them, three one at a group of them. It took awhile but all the clones were beaten. Then Demyx attacked us. He started with a wave of water bubbles with super high water pressure. Donald got throne across to the other side of the gate. Goofy blocked it but was throne back. Sora managed to dodge it and I avoided the shots and charged towards Demyx.

"Take this!" I shouted as I slashed at him. He jumped back, creating a pillar of water that knocked me back.

"Come on, get with the beat!" Said Demyx as he started shooting of waves of water pillars. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and I regrouped.

"He's strong!" Exclaimed Goofy.

"So this is what its like to fight a member of Organization XIII. No wonder Luther told me to stay clear of them," I said.

"He's coming!" Shouted Sora. Demyx shot by us while whacking anyone nearby him with his guitar. Sora, Donald, and Goofy had been thrown back, leaving me all alone against Demyx.

"Havin' fun now!" Said Demyx as he started unleashing a fury of water attacks and attacks with his guitar. I dodged and blocked most of the attacks but got hit quite often. I slashed my sword at Demyx but he blocked it. Then he counterattacked with one of his attacks. I managed to block it and then I aimed a kick at him. I hit him right in the jaw and he fell back. Then he charged towards me and hit me with another water attack.

"Thunder!" Shouted Donald. Demyx and I looked down at the ground at the water from Demyx's attacks and starred up at the oncoming thunder spell in horror.

"Uh-oh," we said at the same time. We found out how much it hurts to get electrocuted while being surrounded by water. Sora charged towards Demyx and started fighting him. Goofy was helping him too. Donald walked over to me, I was still on the ground after that last attack.

"Are you okay?" Asked Donald.

"That... hurt..." I said.

"It also managed to hurt him."

"Well then it might have been worth it then," I said. I got up and Donald and I charged towards Demyx. I held out my hand and a flare spell shot up nearby Demyx. He jumped back seemingly distracted by the blast. Then Sora ran towards him and unleashed a fury of attacks. Demyx was breathing heavily he slumped to the ground and his guitar disappeared. He looked at his hand and gasped. Then he held his hands to his head.

"No way!" He screamed as he fell to the ground and was being surrounded by darkness. Then he disappeared in a pool of water.

"Anyone from the Organization who'd like to be next?" Taunted Sora. I walked over to the Sacred Orb, which had fallen from the air, and picked it up.

"Hey, Sora! Don't antagonize them!" Said Donald.

"Yeah, we gotta help our friends first," said Goofy.

"Oh. Sorry," said Sora.

"Aha! There you are!" Shouted King Mickey. We turned around to see a rather annoyed looking Mouse. He walked over to us and folded his arms. We looked down at the ground. We knew what was coming next, a lecture. "You sure have lotsa friends to help. So, I guess we better all pull together and finish this battle for good."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" We all said at once. King Mickey started walking.

"Look out!" Shouted Goofy as he ran towards King Mickey. He pushed him out of the way just in time to get hit by a large rock that would have hit the King had Goofy not blocked it. He slid back and crashed into the wall. We ran over to him to see if he was okay. His eyes were closed and he wasn't moving.

"No..." Said King Mickey. Donald tried shaking him to wake him up.

"Hey! You're the King's Captain! You gotta get up!" Said Donald.

"C'mon, wake up," said Sora.

"Open your eyes!" I said.

"I'm sorry about the ice cream," said Donald. Goofy didn't reply.

"Goofy?" Said King Mickey.

"Ohh... Goofy..." Said Donald as he laid his head down on our fallen comrade.

"This is not happening... It can't be happening... It can't..." Said Sora. I looked at Goofy and then lowered my head. Was this how Fayt and the others felt when I wasn't there? Did they feel like I do right now?

"They'll pay for this!" Said King Mickey. He threw off his Organization XIII outfit and under it was a strange red outfit that kind of reminded me of the style of Sora's outfit. Then he summoned a keyblade that was essentially a gold version of Sora's Keyblade and he ran out into the ravine. Donald looked up, let out a cry, got up and charged towards the ravine. Sora then looked up, summoned his keyblade, and ran into the ravine too. I looked over at Goofy again.

"The four of us haven't been traveling together for long, but you guys have become my friends," I said. I stood up and clenched my fist. "I will avenge you, Goofy!" I looked towards the ravine. "Look out Heartless and Nobodies! I am coming to..."

"Gawrsh, that really hurt," said Goofy. I jumped up ten feet in the air and looked over at him. His eyes were open, he had sat up and was rubbing his head.

"Goofy! You're okay!" I said.

"Of course I am. I get bumped on the head all the time," said Goofy as he got up. He looked around. "Where is everyone?"

"They ran into the ravine trail," I said as I pointed towards the ravine.

"Then we've got catching up to do."

"Right, let's go." I summoned my Katana and Goofy pulled out his shield. We charged down into the ravine. A group of Heartless appeared almost the moment we got in there. I slashed through two Heartless and jumped away from one that tried to attack. Goofy charged towards the Heartless and knocked them back. We then charged towards the remaining Heartless and destroyed them. We proceeded to the next area only to find no Heartless. Yuffie was standing there.

"The Heartless have been cleared out here, keep going!" Said Yuffie. Without a word we ran into the next area. This area was also cleared out as well. Leon was standing in that area as well.

"Sora and the others went that way. If you hurry you can still catch up with them," said Leon.

"Alright, thanks," I said as we ran by. Eventually we came to a crystal fissure of some sort.

"Hey Fellas!" Shouted Goofy. Sora, Donald, and King Mickey turned around to see us.

"Goofy!" They all said at once. Goofy ran over to them and I quickly followed.

"Ya know, that really hurt!" said Goofy. King Mickey jumped up and hugged him.

"Aw, Goofy!" Said King Mickey.

"Gawrsh, Your Majesty, I get bumped on the head all the time." Donald stomped over with a mad look on his face. He pulled out his staff and quickly smacked Goofy in the shin with it. Goofy jumped up in pain. "That hurt too!"

"Don't you ever do that again!" Shouted Donald. Sora looked over at me.

"I was wondering where you were," said Sora.

"Well I stayed a little longer and then Goofy woke up. So then we went down into the ravine to find you guys," I said.

"I thought you might have run into Organization XIII or something," said Donald.

"No, I haven't seen any of them since we defeated Demyx." I looked down the corridor of crystal walls. "So what's down that way?"

"A large opening and beyond that is that strange castle," said King Mickey.

"Then let's go and end this battle," said Sora. We ran into the next area. We all halted to a stop as we arrived at the center of the opening.

"Huh?" Asked King Mickey.

"What's with them?" Asked Sora. There were countless Heartless in front of us but they weren't moving. They looked as if they were asleep, like a robot waiting to be turned on.

"Look!" Exclaimed Goofy as he pointed at one of the wall. A portal of darkness appeared and there stood someone in an Organization XIII outfit. He removed his hood to reveal his face. He had long silver hair that drooped over his cloak. His hair was spiked up as well. On the sides of his face, his hair stuck down. He had orange/amber eyes that had a piercing look to them.

"It's the guy who's NOT Ansem!" Said Donald.

"You mean it's his Nobody!" Said Goofy.

"The Leader of Organization XIII..." Said Sora.

"Wait a minute! Now I know!" Shouted King Mickey. "Yes, now I remember. Xehanort! Ansem's apprentice! The Leader of Organization XIII is Xehanort's Nobody!" Xehanort smiled. King Mickey summoned his keyblade and ran up the cliff.

"Let's go!" Said Sora. Suddenly the Heartless that were sleeping woke up and surrounded us. "Move it!" Shouted Sora at the Heartless.

"We can't let Xehanort get away!" Said Donald. We all pulled out our weapons and got ready to fight. We looked around. Gave each other the thumbs up, and then we charged towards the Heartless in separate directions. As we charged I couldn't help but feel as if some form of malice was smiling at our actions.

The hardest thing about being surrounded by an army of Heartless is that there is so freaking many of them. I slashed one in half, blocked the sword of another Heartless and then counterattacked it. I used a flare spell on a nearby group of them and then cut another Heartless in half. I sliced off another one's head, back flipped, and then threw my sword at another one. I picked up my sword and just as I was about to attack again the Heartless started acting strangely. They all started stepping away from me and turned their attention to Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

"What's going on here?" I asked. Then I looked up to see Vox starring down at me.

"Time's up, Alex," said Vox.

"Vox!" I snarled. He started motion for me to jump up to where he was.

"Come, don't you want to avenge your pathetic friend. Or will you finally forsake that trash and turn your attention towards the Heartless?" I tightened my hold on my Katana and jumped towards Vox.

"Shut up! Not another word!" I shouted. I brought my sword down and Vox flipped away from the attack.

"Still weak as ever. But maybe you can take this opportunity to make yourself stronger?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked. Suddenly another portal of Darkness appeared and Maria walked out of it.

"We have decided to have a little brawl. Who is stronger? You... or Organization XIII?" Asked Maria.

"And you decided to do this... why?"

"No reason, in particular," said Maria with a shrug. But the look on her face made me wonder if she really meant that. She seemed worried. She looked back at me and pulled out a claymore. It had a round part at the end of the blade and a large handle. Then it extended it creating lethal spikes at the end. "I'm your opponent!" We charged towards each other. Maria slashed her sword at me and I blocked it. But because of it's size one of the spiked ends stabbed into my left arm. I winced in pain and jumped back. "Oh that's right. This weapon is hard to deflect without hurting yourself in the process. I should have mentioned that in the first place."

"Shut up!" I said as I charged towards her. I slashed at her but she blocked it. Then she slashed at me and I back flipped away. I slashed at her and she began to block but then I stopped and stabbed my sword through the opening on the end of the sword. I slashed upwards and the sword went flying out of Maria's hands.

"You used a feint to catch me off guard!" Exclaimed Maria. I smiled.

"That's right." Then I pulled my sword back and aimed for a stab. "I'm sorry, but this is goodbye!" Suddenly I felt something stab into my side and into my back. I looked down to see that Maria had a yellow kunai she had stabbed me in the side with. "Impossible..." I looked behind me to see Saïx standing there with a claymore of his own stabbed into my shoulder.

"That was close..." Said Maria.

"Indeed," said Saïx.

"I thought... this was a one on one match..." I said.

"Who said that? This is a battle against all of us, not just one of us," said Maria. I looked up just in time to block a laser kunai. I looked up to see a man in an Organization XIII outfit with long black hair and grey parts at the top of his head. He wore an eye patch on his right eye and had a massive scar on his left cheek. His eyes were yellow, kind of like Saïx's eyes He had two purple gun weapons aimed at me.

"Your time is up, Alex," he said. Then he posed. "Xigbar, No. 2 of Organization XIII!" Saïx and Maria pulled their weapons out of me and I painfully jumped back away from them. Suddenly a spear came from out of nowhere and almost hit me. Then it flew back. There stood a large man with long black hair and pointy ears. He had blue eyes.

"Let's see how well you fare against all of us. I am Xaldin, No. 3 of Organization XIII!" He said. Damn, I have to get out of here. I don't stand a chance against all of them. This was a trap! I started to run but then all of a sudden a wall of cards surrounded the area we were in, preventing me from leaving.

"Not so fast," said a voice. I looked over to see a man with short blonde hair and a blonde beard. He also had blue eyes. "The name's Luxord, No. 10 of Organization XIII!"

"So there is no escaping this," I said.

"No there isn't," said a voice. A portal of darkness appeared and Xehanort walked out of it.

"Xehanort!" I shouted.

"I abandoned that name long ago. I am Xemnas. The Superior of Organization XIII," said Xeh... err I mean Xemnas.

"Alright then. Xemnas, I am going to defeat Organization XIII right here, right now!" I shouted. Xemnas smiled and folded his arms.

"Go right ahead... if you can." I charged towards him and all the Organization XIII members here charged towards me. I was now busy blocking shots and attacks from every angle. As I dodged one of Maria's attacks I looked over to see Xemnas right in front of me with a red laser sword in his hand. Then he brought it down towards me.

"Crap..." I said. It was a direct hit, I got hit by his sword several times and then they took my sword and threw it off the cliff. During this time I had also lost the Sacred Orb. Xemnas picked it up and looked at it.

"Thank you for retrieving this for us, Alex."

"It wasn't for you."

"Well it is now." The Organization XIII members started laughing. I collapsed to the ground. Damn, this couldn't be happening. I can't be losing. Then Xaldin walked towards me and picked me up. He then swung me over his shoulder. Everyone else teleported away except for Xaldin and Xemnas. Xemnas then walked off and jumped off the cliff.

"Looks like what Demyx said was true, you won't be walking out of this Heartless War a free man," said Xaldin.

"You sound like you were expecting this to happen," I said.

"We plotted it out. We are using Sora to destroy the Heartless. Each Heartless destroyed by the Keyblade released a heart. Then that Heart goes off towards Kingdom Hearts so it can join with the Heart of all worlds. But instead it is going back to the realm of darkness, where our Kingdom Hearts is being built. Once it is finished we will become complete beings," said Xaldin.

"Dammit... it was a set up from the start." Xaldin started laughing.

"Exactly." The he looked over to see Xemnas looking up at him. "Well it's time to show you off to your friends." Xaldin jumped off the cliff and landed next to Xemnas. King Mickey, Sora, Donald, and Goofy all gasped when they saw the condition I was in.

"Alex!" Exclaimed Sora. He looked over at Xemnas. "What did you do to him?"

"We fought him and then captured him," said Xemnas. Then Sora changed subject.

"Out with it Nobody! Where's Kairi? Where's Riku?"

"I know nothing of any Kairi... as for Riku... why don't you try asking your king?" Suggested Xemnas. Then he started teleporting away.

"Time to go," said Xaldin as he teleported too. Next thing I knew it I was inside some sort of white room with a jail cell that was floating in the air. But the outside of the jail cell was purple and it had large purple bars with no door. Xaldin held out his hand and the bars disappeared. Then he threw me in there and the bars reappeared. "Stay in there for awhile. We will deal with you later." Then he teleported away. I slowly got up onto my knees and started hitting the ground.

"Damn! How could I let myself get captured like that?"

"Alex? Is that you?" Asked a familiar voice. I looked up to see Kairi sitting on the ground as well.

"Kairi? I never thought I would see you here. Okay, I heard you were kidnaped by Organization XIII. But I didn't think I would end up in the same cell as you," I said.

"Yeah, this guy named Axel came to my home. He tried to get me to come with him. But I refused and went through another portal. I ended up in a place called Twilight Town and met some people named Hayner, Pence, and Olette. They said I could meet Sora if I stayed at Twilight Town. But then Axel came and kidnaped me. I almost got away but then this guy with long blue hair captured me and threw me in here," said Kairi.

"I see... they attacked me when I was separated from Sora and the others. I was unable to escape and then they brought me here," I said.

"How is Sora? Is he okay?" I nodded.

"Yeah, as far as I know."

"That's good."

"I see that you two know each other," said Maria as she walked over to the cell bars. I looked over at her.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"There's no need to be so cold."

"I have nothing to say to you, traitor," I said as I looked away.

"Do you think I wanted this to happen?" Exclaimed Maria. I looked over at her again. "I tried to buy you more time but it didn't do any good. Why didn't you just listen to me when I told you to join? Why could you just listen to a friend? You wouldn't be in this predicament if you weren't so damned stubborn!" I looked down at the ground sadly.

"You know very well why I can't join. I don't want to join a group that caused the death of my best friend," I said.

"Need I remind you that the killing blow wasn't dealt by them but by Fayt?"

"You don't need to remind me. Those images are still fresh in my mind. But if Organization XIII hadn't manipulated Luther then none of that would ever have ever happened."

"Do you think you can make it all better by blaming it on them? You played a part in this too! Who was it who designed the Executioners in the first place?" Shouted Maria. I winced as I heard that last remark. "I'm sorry..." She said in softer voice.

"No... You are right. I have been running away from the truth. I have been desperately screaming in my mind that it isn't my fault. But I can't fool anyone, not even myself," I said as I clenched my fist. "I can't erase the fact that all of those people died because of me."

"Why can't you just accept the past and move on? What is stopping you?"

"Could you stop thinking about something like this. Could you ever get over the fact that your hands are stained in the blood of many innocent people?" I asked. Maria didn't say anything but then she turned her back.

"It's useless talking to you. How long do you plan on mopping around anyway? Maybe you are as worthless and weak as you showed yourself to be on the battlefield today." Kairi shot up and walked over to the bars.

"How could you say something so mean to someone who you just said is a friend of yours? Do you call that friendship?" Asked Kairi who seemed rather mad.

"Stay out of this! This doesn't concern you!" Shouted Maria. Then she teleported away. Kairi looked back at me.

"Are you alright?" She asked. I sighed.

"Yeah, I guess..."

"What were you guys talking about?"

"You remember what I told you about myself, how I worked on the Eternal Sphere, and about the Executioners?" Kairi nodded.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"There is something I never told you. I was the one who designed the Executioners. The blood of billions, maybe even trillions of innocent people have completely stained my hands. They all died because of me. Luther manipulated us into believing that we were in danger, just as Organization XIII had done to him." Kairi gasped.

"That's horrible. How could they do something like that?" I shrugged.

"I don't know. But I am no better than them."

"That's not true! You were manipulated into thinking you were doing the right thing. It is not your fault..." Said Kairi.

"She is right. Their deaths are not your fault," said a familiar voice. I looked over to see Raxiel standing there outside of the jail cell.

"Raxiel? What are you doing here?" I asked.

* * *

So what is Raxiel doing in Organization XIII's stronghold? Find out in the next chapter. Anyway, please review. 


	13. A New World

Thank you all who reviewed! Now let's move on to the disclaimer.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean, Kingdom Hearts, Xenosaga, or Final Fantasy X-2

* * *

Chapter 13: A new world

"Who are you?" Asked Kairi.

"The name's Raxiel. It is an honor to meet you Kairi," said Raxiel as he bowed.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Simple. I'm busting you out of here."

"You are? Well it's good to know you are on our side... but how did you get here? This is Organization XIII's territory."

"Well to cut a long story short I am spying on them. They don't know that I am here... yet. I quickly found out that you had been kidnaped. So when the coast was clear I came here to get you out."

"Excellent. We can get Kairi out of this hell hole and back to her island. That will make Sora happy." Raxiel shook his head.

"No. Just you."

"What? Why only me?"

"Why do I have to stay here?" Asked Kairi who seemed rather annoyed.

"That's because Alex here has something important he must do." I got up and walked towards Raxiel.

"But we can just leave her like that! Who knows what Organization XIII will do to her?"

"She will be fine. They don't plan on doing anything to her. She is being held captive to feed Sora's anger and have him keep on fighting the Heartless. Don't worry, this will undoubtedly be their undoing. Now let's go."

"Not without Kairi!" Raxiel sighed.

"Listen Alex, they are already going to make a big deal about you escaping. It would be even worse if you and Kairi escaped. Tell me, what would you do if Organization XIII was to surround you again like they did before? With your current strength you would not be able to protect Kairi from them, let alone yourself. You will only end up getting captured again." I clenched my fist as I realized that Raxiel was right. I looked over at Kairi.

"Kairi, I will find Sora and bring him to you. I promise!" I said. Kairi smiled.

"Thank you." I looked back at Raxiel.

"Alright, bust me out of here." Raxiel nodded and held out his hand to reveal a suit of strange looking armor underneath the cloak. Suddenly his hand was surrounded by a light and when it disappeared he was holding a weapon that looked like a large black rapier. But it had a keychain sticking from the end of it. They keychain looked like a bushel of black thorns.

"A Keyblade?" I exclaimed. _"Raxiel can use a keyblade, just like Sora. But I thought that Sora was the only one who could use a keyblade," _I said in my thoughts. Raxiel held it out and a beam shot towards the bars. The bars disappeared and I walked out of the jail cell. "I didn't know you had a Keyblade."

"You never asked," said Raxiel as he dismissed his keyblade. I looked over at Kairi.

"I will see you later," I said. Kairi nodded.

"Good luck out there," she said. I gave her the thumbs up and then looked back at Raxiel.

"Let's go," I said. Raxiel put a hand on my shoulder and suddenly we were transported. I looked around to see the area I was now in. "Whoa! What IS this place?" It was very dark, and the sky was covered in a blanket of black clouds. I looked around to see large, gothic looking buildings all around me. Some had lights on, others did not. In front of me was a large tower with bunch of TV screens at the top and a large antennae. I felt really strange here, it was as if I was being surrounded by a vale of darkness. Yes, this place had a very strong sense of darkness. It was all over the place. And it felt as if the darkness was pouring into me.

"This is the World that Never Was, or the Realm of Darkness," said Raxiel. Then he pointed over at a large white fortress that was floating in the sky. Behind it was a large heart shaped mon. "And that is Organization XIII's Stronghold, along with their Kingdom Hearts in the background."

"What a creepy place," I said. "And yet, I feel very strange. Almost as if I have returned home."

"That's the Nobody side of you that is making you feel that way," said a familiar voice. I looked over to see DiZ walking over towards us. "The darkness will change you."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"You will find out. Maybe you will find the changes useful," said DiZ. He looked over at Raxiel. "Raxiel, it is time. Open the path."

"Open the path? The path to what?" I asked. Raxiel held out his hand and a portal appeared. Then he looked back at me.

"The world beyond this portal is the first step on the road," said Raxiel.

"The road?"

"The road to unlocking your hidden power." I was left speechless at what Raxiel had said. "My hidden power?" DiZ took a step towards me.

"Alex, before you can obtain this power you must make a decision in that world," said DiZ.

"What kind of decision?" DiZ laughed.

"It would ruin the surprise if I told you. You have to find out for yourself." I looked at the portal. Then I looked back at DiZ and Raxiel. "I'll catch you guys later." I ran into the portal and was surrounded by bright light. Then I started falling. Falling... falling... then after awhile the light faded and it felt as if I had hit something. Something... wet... water! I opened my eyes to see that I was floating in a sea. I shifted around and started swimming while I looked around for land. Then I saw it, a small island. I started swimming towards it. Eventually I got onto the shore and I collapsed. It had been awhile since I had last did any swimming so I was tired out already.

I looked up at the sky. It was so peaceful, it was quiet too. There were only occasional sounds like the sound of a bird. Why couldn't Organization XIII have put their stronghold here? I wouldn't have minded being held captive so long as there was a good window to look at the ocean. The view would be really good from that height. Suddenly I heard a rumbling sound. I looked around but didn't see anything. Then I looked up to see a large red ship of some sort flying across the sky. It looked like a creature because of the four things that were sticking out like legs, but they were probably engines based on the structure of the ship. It landed in the water nearby. It opened up and a group of people came out. Hopefully they are friendly because I don't want to have to fight that many people.

"That was so easy, it was like taking candy from a baby. Right Yunnie?" Asked one of the people who were talking with someone who was probably one of their friends. They were still too far so I couldn't see them.

"Yeah, it was easy," said the person the other person was talking too. I didn't know why but her voice sounded REALLY familiar.

"Too easy," said another person. Then they came into view where I could see them. Amongst the group was three strange looking people who were dressed weird. One had dark skin and wore goggles. He had short blonde hair. The other guy was only wearing overalls and had a mow-hawk. He had a lot of tattoos too. The other was small and covered in a cloth outfit so I couldn't see any details about him, but it looked like he was ready to do deep sea diving. Then I looked over at everyone else. There was a guy with an outfit that I will never be able to describe. He had short, spiky blonde hair and blue eyes. He was holding hands with a girl that had brown hair and two different colored eyes. Wait a second... I have seen eyes like that before... And the two others, the one with blonde hair and green eyes and the one with grey hair and red eyes. They were familiar too.

"Huh? Who's that?" Asked the girl with blonde hair.

"A stranger," said the girl with grey hair coldly. As they walked closer it finally hit me as too who they reminded me off. I pointed at them and yelled.

"AAAAAAAAAAAH! It's you three! But how did you get so big all of a sudden?" The three girls looked at each other with a confused look on their face. "And weren't you guys at Hollow Bastion? How did you guys end up here?"

"Anyone have any idea what this guy is talking about?" Asked the guy with blonde hair.

"Beat's me," said the girl with brown hair.

"What, you guys don't remember me? I was with Sora, Donald, and Goofy. You three are Yuna, Rikku, and Paine," I said. They all looked shock. Then they looked at each other. Paine walked towards me and pulled me up by my collar.

"How do you know who we are? Start talking or else you will get hurt!" Said Paine with a dangerous look in her eye.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, that's kind of overdoing it," said Rikku as she walked over and started prancing around. I paused and just assumed that these were different people who just happened to have the same names as the ones that I know.

"Sorry, I guess I got you guys mixed up with the wrong people," I said.

"No, it's fine," said Yuna.

"It's still weird how the people you know have the exact same name as these three," said the guy.

"So who are you anyway?" Asked Yuna. The guy with the mow-hawk started freaking out.

"He is the evil being of darkness that will come and destroy Spira! We are all doomed!" He shouted while he was twitching and moving all over the place. There was dead silence and he looked around. "What? I always wanted to say that."

"I'm Alex," I said. I looked back at Paine. "Umm... could you let me go?" I asked.

"Okay," said Paine. Then she let me go and dropped me on the ground.

"So what are you doing here?" Asked Rikku.

"Well... it's a long story... REALLY long story," I said.

"A long story huh? Then why don't we go to Besaid Village and you can tell us there," suggested Yuna.

"Yeah, we can talk while eating dinner," said the guy with blonde hair.

"Can't you think about something other than Yunnie and your stomach?" Asked Rikku.

"Nope," he said as he put his arm around Yuna.

"So, what's your name?" I asked. He looked over at me.

"I'm Tidus," he said with a friendly smile.

"_This guy is really cheerful," _I said in my thoughts.

"And those guys are?" I asked as I looked at the three weird people.

"The guy with the mow-hawk is Brother, my brother," said Rikku. "The guy with the goggles on is Buddy. And the small one is Shinra."

"I see... so what's the name of this island?"

"You are on Besaid Island," answered Yuna.

"And they have good food," said Tidus. Yuna looked over at him and smiled.

"You really CAN'T think of anything else besides me and your stomach. Anyway, let's go." The group started walking and I followed them. It would be a good idea to go with the flow here. I don't know a thing about this world. Besides, there might be Heartless here. Plus I want to see this Besaid Village place. As we walked around I noticed a bunch of strange ruins. Maybe some sort of civilization lived her many years ago.

"A little bit of advice," said Paine.

"What would that be?" I asked as I looked over at her. She pointed ahead of us. There were a bunch of animals of some sort that were growling and looked hostile.

"Always be prepared. Fiends like to pop up and attack people. Be on your guard or you will be in a world of hurt," said Paine.

"Whoa! When did they get there? There are almost as sneaky as Heartless," I said.

"Heart...less?" Asked Tidus.

"Umm... Never mind," I said.

"Can you fight?" Asked Yuna. I nodded.

"Sure can."

"Then show us what you can do," said Paine. I moved up front and summoned my Katana. I got ready to fight the fiends. One that looked like a wolf of some sort charged towards me. I dodged to the side and slashed it in half. It burst into a bunch of small light things that flew off. I blocked another's attack with my sword and stabbed it through. The next one was different. It looked like it was made of blue berry jelly.

"This kind is a little more tricky. Physical attacks aren't that good for these kinds of fiends," said Tidus.

"Alright, then how about this?" I held out my hand and the jelly fiend was hit by a flare spell. It slumped over and burst into the small floating light things again. I looked up to see a flyer coming right towards me. I wouldn't have time to block or dodge it. Suddenly there was loud bang and it fell over dead. I looked behind me to see Yuna holding a gun out. It was smoking as well, so logically she is the one who beat the last fiend.

"Thanks," I said.

"No problem," said Yuna.

"Still, that was impressive. You did pretty well against those fiends. And that was an unusually powerful flare spell," said Rikku.

"Thanks."

"Based on your fighting skill, you must see a lot of action," said Shinra. I nodded.

"Yeah, I do."

"Well you can tell us all about it when we get to the village," said Tidus.

"Alright." We continued walking. After awhile we finally got to a small village. "Wow..." I said. It wasn't what I thought it would look like but it was impressive still. The big eye catcher would be the big temple at the back of the village.

"So what do you think?" Asked Yuna.

"It's a nice peaceful place. I can see why someone would enjoy a place like this," I said.

"Hey! Welcome back you guys!" Shouted a voice. A guy in a yellow outfit of some sort ran over. He had orange hair that spiked up really high like a short sword blade. I wonder if he could kill someone with that?

"It's good to be back," said Yuna with a smile.

"Glad to hear it," the guy said. He looked over at me. "And who is this?"

"This is Alex. He was there on the beach when we got back," said Rikku. The guy walked towards me and held out his hand.

"Hey Alex, I'm Wakka," said the guy.

"Nice to meet you," I said as I shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you too. It's good to meet someone new every now and then, ya?" Said Wakka.

"True." He looked at me and then over at Tidus.

"Hmm... Something about you reminds me of Tidus over there." Tidus walked over to me and looked at me.

"Really? We don't look alike at all," said Tidus.

"I don't think that's what he meant," said Paine.

"She's right. It's more of the look on his face. Reminds me of when you first came here two years ago," Wakka. He looked over at a house. "Anyway, you came just in time. Lulu is cooking dinner up right now. She was expecting that you guys would come back to this village today."

"Oh boy! Food!" Exclaimed Tidus.

"Yeah, he DOESN'T think of anything else besides his stomach," I said.

"It doesn't take too long to figure that out," said Rikku. Wakka stood at the entrance of his house.

"Come on in guys," said Wakka. Yuna looked over at Buddy, Brother, and Shinra.

"We are going back to the ship now, we just came to see you off," said Buddy.

"Good night," said Brother with an enthusiastic wave. The three of them left and we walked into the house. Inside was woman with a very gothic looking outfit. She had long black hair and red eyes. On the side of the room was a crib with a baby in it, the baby was sleeping. The woman was cooking something, and she turned around as she heard us come in.

"Welcome back," said the woman.

"It's good to be back," said Yuna.

"Got that right. You make good food," said Tidus. The woman sighed.

"You'll never change, but that's what makes you, you," she said. Then she looked over at me. "And who are you?"

"I'm Alex," I said.

"We found him on the beach," said Rikku.

"That's a familiar story," said the woman with a tone of amusement. She looked over at me again. "I'm Lulu." She looked at Yuna. "So, are all of you eating with us? Wait... of course you are. No need to ask."

"You wouldn't take no for an answer any..." Started Tidus.

"You don't want to finish that sentence," said Lulu in a calm voice. But if looks could kill, Tidus would be pushing up daisies right now. "It won't be long before dinner. I'll have Wakka let you know when it's ready." Wakka looked over at me.

"You should check out the village to get to know this place a little," said Wakka. I thought for a moment.

"Sure, see you guys later," I said. I walked out of the house and started walking around. People were beginning to call it a day by the looks of things. It was very quiet, the sun was setting by now. I looked behind me to see the temple. I walked up the steps towards the entrance. Then I opened the doors and walked in. Of course I closed the doors after I got in. As I turned around, my jaw dropped to the ground. "This place is amazing!" I said. The first room was circular and filled with statues of people this place looks so old and it reeked of history, so many new interesting things, so many things I didn't understand. This world is truly unlike anything I have seen to this point. I walked up the stairs and looked at the opening to the next room.

"Are you going inside?" Asked a voice. I looked over to see a man dressed in robes. He was also bald. "A late visitor, I see. Be careful if you go in there. Not too long ago fiends came crawling out of the temples, it was a total mess."

"Thanks for the warning," I said. Then I started walking in. I walked through a series of narrow corridors. They were all textured a turquoise color. At one point I came to a circular room with nothing in it. The floor was pretty cool looking though, it was covered in all these decals and designs. I stood in the center of the room. "It looks like a dead..." Suddenly I felt something move underneath me. Then I started going down. "Whoa, it's an elevator!" It reached the bottom and there was a corridor that lead to an ante chamber of some sort. I walked in to see a set of steps that lead to another room. "What could they possibly be hiding down here?" I asked. I walked up the steps and entered the next room. There was a massive hole in this room and that's all there was to this place. "This is it? Wow, they are guarding a hole. What's so important about this hole anyway?" I asked. Then I decided that I should head back. There was nothing of interest here.

"_Alex..." _Said a small voice. I looked around but didn't see anyone. _"Alex..."_

"Who's there?" I turned around to see Nephilim standing behind me. "Nephilim? What are you doing here?"

"_Alex, the answers you have been looking for are coming soon. But fist... you must choose," _said Nephilim.

"Choose what?" I asked. Nephilim closed her eyes and then opened them again.

"_Alex, in your current state you are no match for Organization XIII. You could barely beat one of them. You are just a burden to Sora and the others. Even if you do unlock your powers you may not be much of a help at all. You will most likely die in battle in the end. But... if you stay here... you can live a life of peace. This world is beyond Organization XIII's reach. You could live a happy life and forget about this fight, leave the war to everyone else. What will you do?" _I smirked.

"What, did you actually think that I would have to THINK about my answer?" I asked rather amusingly.

"_What is your answer?" _Asked Nephilim.

"I am not going to give up! I am deep in this fight now, there is no turning back! I will unlock my power and crush Organization XIII! They don't stand a chance. Besides, I promised Kairi that I would bring Sora to her." Nephilim let off a small smile.

"_I knew you would pick that answer. That answer burns in your eyes. Very well, you have chosen your path. Head to the mountains, there you will find a gate to another world. In that world you will find a way to unlock your hidden power... good luck..." _Nephilim disappeared.

"I should ask Yuna and the others about these mountains," I said. I turned around and left. After a few minutes I arrived outside. By now the sun was really low and it was starting to get dark. Wakka ran over to me.

"Hey, you made it just in time. Dinner is ready!" He said. "We should head on over there, ya?"

"Alright, coming," I said. Wakka and I walked back to his house. Inside everyone was sitting down.

"There you are, Alex," said Rikku.

"If you had been late, you would have gotten hurt," said Paine. Tidus laughed.

"Someone is hungry," he said. Paine opened her eyes and looked at Tidus.

"Look who's talking," she countered. Everyone started laughing, even Tidus (despite the fact that he was the one who got burned).

"Well I am pretty hungry myself," I said. I sat down in the last seat. I was sitting next to Rikku and Wakka. To Wakka's left was Lulu and to Lulu's left was the baby. In front of me was Yuna and Tidus. Then at the edge of the table was Paine. The food was really good. The main part was a meat of some sort. There was a basket of rolls and a large bowl of vegetables. As for the drink... well, I really don't know how to describe it. It was pretty good though.

"So what do you think of the food?" Asked Lulu as she looked over at me.

"It's really good," I said.

"Thanks," said Lulu.

"Lulu is one of the best cooks in all of Besaid, ya?" Said Wakka. Lulu smiled and looked over at Yuna.

"So, what do you and the others eat when you are onboard the Celsius?"

"We take turns," said Rikku.

"The quality of the food depends on who is cooking," said Yuna.

"Sometimes it is good, like when Yuna cooks," said Tidus. Yuna smiled and kissed Tidus on the cheek. "And sometimes it is really bad. Like when Brother or Buddy cook." Rikku shuddered.

"Ugh, don't remind me of that stew they made last time," said Rikku.

"It had... an interesting taste," said Yuna.

"Mud Stew, yum, yum," said Paine sarcastically. Yuna nodded.

"That's one way of putting it." I looked over at the baby, I had been wondering about this for awhile and now I wanted to know.

"So, who's child is that?" I asked.

"That's my son, Vidina," said Lulu.

"Really? Who is the father?"

"Wakka."

"Wow, you two are a good couple." Wakka and Lulu looked at each other and turned red slightly.

"Can we uh... change topics now?" Asked Wakka.

"Sure, in fact there is something I wanted to ask you, Alex," said Yuna.

"What would that be?" I asked.

"What were you doing on the shore of Besaid? Where did you come from? I didn't see any boats at the dock."

"Well... I was brought here from another world." Everyone didn't seem to shocked at hearing this. "Does this happen regularly?" Yuna shook her head.

"No... in fact..."

"There is one person here who was from another world too," said Rikku.

"Who would that be?" I asked.

"Me," said Tidus.

"Really? So what is this world called anyway?" I asked.

"This world is called Spira," said Wakka. For the next while or so they told me everything there was to tell about Spira. From the past when they were terrorized by this 'sin' creature, to various places, terms, Summoners, Aeons, Machina, Yevon, Zanarkand.

"So then you defeated this Yu Yevon and saved the world," I said. Yuna nodded.

"Yes, but after that..." She looked at Tidus.

"I'll continue," he said. Tidus told me more about the Zanarkand he was from, how it was just a dream world. When that world disappeared he technically died that day.

"So what happened after that?" I asked.

"Well..." Yuna told me about Sphere's, the Gull Wings, Shuyin the Tidus look alike, Lenne, Vegnagun, and about her journey.

"So in the end you were reunited with Tidus." Yuna nodded.

"That's what happened in a nutshell," said Rikku.

"I see..." I said.

"So could you tell us about yourself? Where did you come from? Why are you here?" Asked Tidus.

"My story is very long," I said.

"Well the night is long," said Lulu. I nodded.

"You've got a point there." I began to tell them my story. I told them about the world I had come from, Sphere Company, Luther and the others, the Eternal Sphere, the incident that would lead to me meeting Fayt and his friends, the Executioners, my part in creating the Executioners, our long journey, and that journey's sad ending and the horrifying truth revealed. I tried to use terms that would help them understand what I was talking about, like Machina.

"That's so sad..." said Yuna. "So what happened after that?"

"As the Eternal Sphere was deleted... so was I. In a sense, I supposedly died that day... but..." Then I told them about how my Father had created the Genesis Circuit, how I ended up in Twilight Town, was told to accompany Sora, Donald, and Goofy, told them about those three, and the journey so far.

"So this Raxiel brought you here to find a way to unlock these powers of yours," said Rikku. I nodded.

"Yeah."

"Do you have any leads?" Asked Paine.

"One, I was told to look in the mountains."

"The only mountains are Gagazet on the mainland. But that's really far away," said Wakka.

"It's going to be a really long journey..." I said.

"What are you talking about? It's not going to be that hard. We could take you there on the Celsius," said Yuna.

"I can't ask you to do that," I said.

"Nonsense, we wouldn't have offered if we didn't want to," said Rikku.

"You'll do that? For me?" I asked. Yuna nodded.

"Yup." I smiled.

"Thanks..."

"Besides, there are many ruins on the top of Gagazet. We might be able to find some Spheres up there!" Said Rikku.

"Right... I forgot you guys were Sphere Hunters." I said.

"There's always a catch," said Paine.

"Sorry, Alex. It's our job," said Tidus with a grin.

"No it's fine," I said as I shook my head.

"We will head out tomorrow," said Yuna.

"Before that you should all get some sleep," said Lulu. The tabled was cleared and we all got ready for bed. I slept pretty well that night. The next day we headed out early. At the entrance of the village...

"I guess this is goodbye, ya?" Asked Wakka as he looked over at me. I nodded.

"Yeah, it is..." I said. Wakka held out his hand.

"Good luck out there."

"Thanks," I said as I shook his hand.

"So, what will you do after you take care of this job?" Asked Lulu as she looked over at Yuna.

"Well... I don't know..." Said Yuna. Everyone said their goodbyes and we headed out. After 10 or 15 minutes of walking we finally arrived at the large red air ship. It was still in the shallow water where it was when it landed the day before. Rikku pulled out a communicator of some sort.

"We're here, open up," said Rikku.

"You should at least say please," said Brother. Rikku rolled her eyes.

"Alright, PLEASE open up."

"That's better, come on in." The ramp slowly came down to the ground. We walked up the ramp and into the airship.

"This is the engine room," said Yuna. I looked around to see... machinery. Just looking at this place would make it obvious that this place was the Engine room. We walked up towards the door to this room and it opened. It looked like an elevator of some sort. We walked in and Paine pressed a button on the control panel. The door closed and the ramp started to go up. When it opened we were in a hall way with neon colored lights stretching down on the sides of it. There was another door at the end of this hallway. As we got near it, it opened.

"This is the bridge," said Tidus. I looked around to see various monitors and stations in the front. Buddy, Brother, and Shinra were scattered along the various stations on the bridge. Brother was sitting on the front middle thing that looked like an oversized red, motorcycle. Buddy was sitting at a small terminal to Brother's left. Shinra was over at the computer on the right. Brother jumped down and walked over to us.

"Alright Gullwings... where..." He paused as looked over at me. "Hey, you are that guy from the beach. What are you doing here?"

"New recruit?" Asked Buddy.

"No, we are going to help him out while we go on another Sphere Hunt," said Yuna.

"You found a lead?" Rikku nodded.

"Yep, more ruins on Gagazett," she said.

"Alright, Gullwings! Move out!" Exclaimed Brother. He then turned around and folded his arms. "Pid fa tu haat cusa haf nalniedc druikr. Acbaleymmo y lida kenm un dfu." He said.

"Cu dnia," said Buddy. I looked over at Yuna and the others.

"What language was that?" I asked.

"Al Bhed," said Rikku.

"What they say?"

"They were just blabbering about things that aren't important," said Paine.

"I see." Brother jumped back onto his station. The ship raised out of the water zoomed off towards the sky. As we got high up into the sky Rikku tapped my shoulder. "Hm?" I asked as I looked over at her.

"Come on! We want to show you something!" Said Rikku as she grabbed my wrist and pulled me along. I looked over at Tidus who was following Yuna, Rikku, Paine, and I.

"What are they taking me to see?" I asked.

"You'll see," said Tidus. I was brought up to an upper level. It looked like a dead end at first but then I saw a set of stairs. We walked towards it and it opened up, revealing the blue sky. We walked up the stairs and then I began to stare in shock.

"Wow!" I exclaimed. We were standing on the top of the ship, all around was the sky. Below were clouds and further down was ocean. "This is incredible!"

"Is this the first time you have flown on an air ship?" Asked Yuna. I nodded. Well I had flown on that platform that Crosell had on his back but that doesn't really count. That was more of a battle than anything.

"So what it is it like out there beyond the sky?" Asked Rikku.

"It's a very fascinating place. There are so many worlds that you can go to, and each one is filled with countless wonders," I said.

"Are you worried about your friends?" Asked Tidus. I nodded.

"Yeah, I wish they could see this world." After several minutes we headed back in and I sat in the cabin for awhile. I bumped something and a bunch of books fell over. I looked down and picked one of the books up. "Al Bhed Primer Vol. XII?" I asked. I picked up all the books. There were twenty six volumes of this Al Bhed Primer. I thought for a moment and then I opened Al Bhed Primer Vol. I.

A few hours later there was an alarm. "Gullwings! Du ouin cdydeuhc!" Exclaimed Brother. I headed back to the bridge and saw that everyone had arrived.

"We've arrived at Gagazett. There seems to be strange energy coming from these ruins so we decided to go here first," said Buddy.

"Strange Energy?" I asked.

"That's correct. I can't figure out what it is," said Buddy. He looked over at Shinra. "Any ideas."

"It seems to be coming from somewhere within the ruins," said Shinra.

"Yeah but what is causing it?"

"I'm just a kid," said Shinra.

"Well in any case, be careful," said Buddy as he looked back over at us.

"Yes sir," said Yuna.

"We can handle this!" Said Tidus as he clenched his fist and looked a bit overexcited.

"Calm down," said Paine.

"No!" Said Tidus as he folded his arms.

"Go find those spheres! Gullwings! Move out!" Shouted Brother as he pointed towards the ruins.

"Right, let's go!" Said Rikku. Rikku and Tidus shot off towards the elevator. "Last one there is a rotten egg!" Shouted Rikku. Paine sighed.

"Are they always like this?" I asked. Paine nodded.

"You have no idea," she said. Yuna, Paine, and I walked up the stairs and towards the elevator.

"Slowpokes!" Exclaimed Rikku. We went down the engine room and the platform opened up. But... it was still high up in the air and we would have to jump down to the platform below.

"Ready?" Asked Yuna. I nodded.

"Yeah, I think so," I said. We jumped down and landed on the platform. I looked at the ruins to see strange inscriptions. "What's all this?" I asked.

"I don't know. Maybe these scribbles have some sort of meaning," said Paine. Rikku looked at the wall and squinted. "Hey there is some Al Bhed scribbled here. It says... Abel's Ark..." She tilted her head. "But I can't make anything else out though."

"Abel's Ark?" Asked Tidus. "Maybe that's what this place is called?"

"Possibly," said Yuna. We continued walking when suddenly a portal of darkness appeared.

"What's this?" Asked Rikku.

"A fiend?" Asked Paine as she began to pull out her sword. I shook my head.

"No, it's something worse..." I said as I summoned my sword. _"Damn, Organization XIII is able to reach this world after all. But how did they find me?" _I asked in my thoughts. As the darkness disappeared there stood a man in the Organization XIII outfit. He had spiky red hair that rose up like a flame. He had green eyes and had a very puny body structure.

"Who's that guy?" Asked Tidus.

"A member of Organization XIII?" I asked. The man shook his head and held out his hand.

"Correction: Ex-Member of Organization XIII. I left a little while ago," he said.

"Oh yeah, Saïx did say that there was someone who was not acting in the Organization's best interest. Are you Axel?" I asked.

"Bingo. I'm Axel, got it memorized?" He asked

"Yeah, I think so," I said. He chuckled.

"Good."

"So why did you come here?"

"You see, I met that little midget girl. She said that you could use a hand with this little task of yours. So, I decided to help out."

"Midget girl? You mean Nephilim?" I asked. Axel nodded.

"Yeah, her."

"Well the more the merrier," I said. Axel grinned.

"That's the spirit."

"Friend of yours?" Asked Paine.

"Actually, this is the first time I have met him," I said. We continued walking.

"Wow, this is high up. One false move and you're a goner," said Axel.

"This is relatively low compared to the Fayth Scar on this mountain," said Yuna as we walked.

"I'm surprised we haven't seen any fiends here," said Tidus.

"There must be something here that they are afraid of," said Paine.

"Whatever you guys have to do up here, be careful," said Rikku.

"Don't worry about us," I said.

"Yeah, we Nobodies can take care of ourselves," said Axel. We reached the top and we saw a ramp that lead to the middle of this ruin. I looked over the edge to see that there was a large cage ark of some sort. In side of it was a glass sphere glowing with energy. I looked over at Axel.

"Do you think this is it?" I asked.

"It might be," said Axel. I looked over at Yuna, Rikku, Paine, and Tidus.

"Well, it's time to say goodbye," I said.

"Yeah," said Yuna.

"Promise you will come back to pay a visit!" Said Rikku.

"Yeah, you have to see the rest of Spira!" Said Tidus.

"It's good to be around someone who still has some sanity left," said Paine.

"E'mm lusa pylg, E bnuseca," I said. Yuna, Rikku, Paine, and Tidus all gave me a shocked look.

"When did you learn to speak Al Bhed?" Asked Rikku.

"I found twenty six Al Bhed Primers in the cabin," I said.

"You learn quick," said Yuna. I smiled and waved goodbye.

"Well, see ya," I said. I looked over at Axel and we nodded. We ran towards the opening and jumped in. As we landed there was a bright flash of light. I shielded my eyes as it got too bright.

* * *

So what will Alex and Axel encounter when they arrive on the other side of the portal? Find out in the next chapter. Hopefully it won't take so long to make like this chapter. Oh and by the way, here is what Alex said in Al Bhed: "I'll come back, I promise." Anyway, please review. 


	14. The Dark Horizon

Thank you all who reviewed! Here's the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean, Kingdom Hearts, or Xenosaga

Chapter 14: The Dark Horizon

* * *

As the light faded I opened my eyes and looked around. I starred in shock as my eyes took in the new surroundings. Axel and I were inside a glass sphere and on the outside... was space. Both Axel and I starred in wonder.

"Wow, we are in space!" I said.

"Never thought jumping into a glass sphere would take us into space," said Axel. He looked over at me. "But it is a nice view, so who cares how weird this is?" I nodded.

"Yeah." We continued to look around.

"I wonder where this thing is taking us," said Axel. It felt like it was moving, like it was being pulled in by something. My guess is that we were being pulled in by the gravity of a nearby planet. I looked in the direction that we were going in and my eyes went as big as dinner plates.

"Roxas would like seeing all of these stars..." Muttered Axel as if he was in deep thought.

"Um... Axel..." I said.

"His jaw would probably be on the ground."

"Axel." I said again.

"Then he would be blabbering about how amazing it is and then..."

"Uhh... Axel?" He looked over at me.

"What?" He looked at my expression and then grinned. "You look like you have seen a ghost or something." I slowly pointed to my right. Axel looked over and he jumped back. "Whoa! Now that's something you don't see everyday."

Floating not too far away from us was a massive structure of some sort. It looked like it was some sort of magic staff. I took another look at it to see that there were four planets connected to this thing. One was inside of the structure and it was encircled by a large belt that probably consisted of asteroids. The other three planets were outside of the structure at the top and they formed a triangle around it. And in the center which looked like a cage there was a purple colored black hole. The structure shifted so that the opening of the cage part was facing us.

"Talk about huge with a capital 'H'. I have never seen such a large structure before," said Axel.

"I don't think it is a ship, and I have no idea what it possibly could be," I said.

"What is that thing inside the cage?"

"It's a black hole. They have insanely strong gravity and they pull in anything that gets too close to them."

"What happens to the things that get caught in there?" Asked Axel nervously.

"Once the object is in the center it gets torn apart by the tidal forces created by the intense gravity, why?" I asked.

"And this sphere is taking us towards the cage..." That's when we both put two and two together.

"Uh, oh," we both said at once. Then we looked at each other.

"So... is there anyway to escape this?" Asked Axel.

"It seems this sphere is moving on it's own. Hopefully we aren't caught in that thing's gravity. We might be able to get away if we change this sphere's course."

"How do we alter this thing's course?"

"Well..." I looked around at the sphere and then back at Axel. He grinned and held up his finger as he figured out what I was getting at.

"It's worth a shot I suppose. I don't want to find out what happens to a Nobody when they die." We turned our backs to the large structure and started running. This caused the sphere to start rolling. "I feel like a rodent..."

"Agreed." We continued to run hoping that this would do something.

"Is it after us?" I asked.

"I ain't lookin," said Axel. We continued running. After awhile I looked behind to see that we had made some progress.

"Alright! Our plan is working!" I said.

"Good! Now let's keep it up!" Exclaimed Axel. We kept running but then all of a sudden the sphere stopped moving. We both looked down. "That's not good." I looked behind to see that we were once again heading towards it slowly. We looked at each other.

"What now?" I asked.

"You got me there..." Said Axel. We were beginning to get even closer to the structure. Axel looked up. "Why didn't I think of it sooner?" Axel held out his hand and a portal of darkness appeared. "We can escape through there!" I nodded.

"Alright, let's get out of here," I said. I quickly looked over to see that we were almost at the entrance of the cage. We jumped into the portal and it closed.

"That was close," I said as we arrived at our destination.

"Indeed," said Axel.

"But where are we?" We looked around to see we were in a hallway of some sort. It looked very well furnished.

"Beats me." We started walking around as we tried to figure out where we were.

"You know, I think we might be onboard a ship of some sort," I said as we were walking. Axel stopped and looked over at me.

"How can you tell?"

"Well I can hear the sound of engines which is a sound that I am very familiar with."

"We could always ask someone." Axel pointed at someone. "Like her." We looked over to see a girl with long blue hair and red eyes walking towards us. She had a strange outfit on, it almost looked robotic.

"Excuse me," I said. The woman didn't reply. She just kept on walking to us.

"I don't think she is listening," said Axel. Suddenly a gun appeared in her hand. She started shooting at us and we jumped out of range. I stumbled to the ground.

"Is this how they say 'hi' here?" I asked. Axel held out his hands and a circle of fire appeared around them. They formed into circular spiky weapons.

"I don't know, but she seems like she means business," said Axel. She summoned a sword and jumped towards me. I quickly rolled out of the way and summoned my katana.

"You asked for it!" I said. I charged towards the girl and slashed at her. She blocked it and brought her sword down at me. I blocked it, resulting in a struggle. I looked at her face to see that it was completely emotionless and the sound's coming from her arms... they sounded like gears. In addition she was packing a lot of power in her attack as the struggle continued. I was beginning to lose my ground. "Axel! Be careful about this one! She's not ordinary!"

"Well that's obvious!" Said Axel as he charged towards the girl and threw one of his weapons at her. She jumped away from me and blocked it Axel's attack. Then she pulled out a gun and started shooting at him. Axel back flipped into the air and his weapons became ablaze with fire. He held them out and then threw them at her. She blocked the attacks and then in a burst of speed ran towards Axel. She kicked him in the gut and he went flying into the info board not to far away. He fell to the ground and didn't get back up.

"AXEL!" I shouted. Then I charged towards the girl with my sword out. "You'll pay for that!" I slashed at her and she dodged it. She then started attacking me with her sword. I blocked the attacks and tried to slash at her again. She blocked it and with her other hand she summoned a large gun with three turrets. Then she started firing at me. I blocked the shots, spin flipped above her and brought my sword down towards her. She grabbed my arm, stopping the attack. "What?" I exclaimed. Then she tightened her grip on my arm, to the point where it was beginning to hurt a lot. Her grip felt like an unbreakable vice. Then she dismissed her sword and slammed her free hand into my side. I spat up some blood and as I recovered I threw my only free fist at the girl. I hit her... but... It didn't do anything... excluding the fact that my knuckles now hurt like hell. _"Ow! That felt like I was punching a ten foot block of steel!"_ I said in my thoughts.

Then the girl yanked my arm (the one she was holding with a vice grip) and hard and I was greeted by extreme pain. She dropped me to the ground and I looked at my arm. She had dislocated my arm, causing my sword to fall and disappear. I got up and held my other hand up. I used a flare spell but the girl dodged it. She ran towards me and held her fist back and then shot it towards me.

"This is going to hurt," I said. She hit me right in the face and I went flying into the wall. I hit it and fell to the ground. "Too strong..." I said. The girl walked over to Axel and slung him over her shoulder. Then she began walking towards me. Well, at least it seems like she isn't going to kill us... yet. She grabbed my other arm and pulled me up. She held our her gun and aimed it at me.

"Do not move unless I say so, and do not try to run or attempt to attack. Otherwise, I will pull the trigger," said the girl.

"Alright, you win," I said as I held up my one free hand in surrender. She pointed her gun in a direction.

"Head up that elevator." I began to walk towards the elevator while the girl jabbed the end of the gun in my back.

"I'm walking, I'm walking," I said. The door slid open and the elevator took us up to a place that looked like the bridge. So I was right, this IS a ship.

"Shion, I have found the two intruders," said the girl. I looked over to see a girl with medium length brown hair and green eyes turn around to look at us. She wore a red shirt, tan pants, and a light black over shirt.

"Well done KOS-MOS. But..." She started. A group of people walked over to where the girl with brown hair was standing. One was a young girl with short pink hair and yellow eyes. She wore a strange outfit beyond my description and a hat of the same color as her outfit. There was a boy next to her. He was about her size and most likely around the same age. He had red hair and blue eyes. He wore strange brown pants, a light red shirt, and a dark red over coat.

Next to the boy was a large man with short blonde hair and blue eyes. His outfit was very mechanical looking and he had a stern look on his face. It was as if his face was saying: "Mess with me and I will beat you into the ground." The next guy was different. He had silver hair that went down to the bottom of his neck. He had tan skin and green eyes. He was wearing a yellow outfit that will forever be beyond my description abilities. Unlike the other guy, this person had a very kind look to his face. Almost as if you could trust him with anything, even your deepest, darkest secret.

The last person had a black robe on and he had long black hair. He had olive green eyes and a weird grin on his face. At the side of his body was a Katana inside of it's sheath.

"I think you overdid it," said the woman with brown hair.

"My orders were to find the intruders and capture them. The condition they are in when brought back is irrelevant," said the girl behind me.

"You can't exactly get an explanation from a corpse you know," said the kid with red hair.

"That's true. You can't get info from someone if you kill them. It's a given fact, got it memorized?" Asked Axel as he looked up.

"You are alright," I said with a tone of relief.

"Of course I would be okay. I couldn't say the same for you though. You look like you went through the blender," said Axel.

"Close enough," I said.

"That's enough chat, you guys have a lot of explaining to do," said the kid with red hair as he walked towards us. "First off, do you guys need medical attention?"

"I'm fine," said Axel.

"I think I need help with this," I said as I held up my dislocated arm.

"You dislocated... his arm?" Asked the girl with brown hair as she looked at the girl behind me.

"Yes, I chose the best probability of keeping this one alive. Had that battle continued he probably wouldn't be standing right now," said the girl. The girl with pink hair began to walk over towards me.

"Here, let me see your arm," she said. The girl behind me held out her hand.

"No need. I will take care of this." She grabbed my dislocated arm and then there was a loud crack and snap as she put it back in place. Everyone just starred in shock.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," said Axel who was looking a little green. My mouth was gaping open from the sharp pain of just having a limb forced back into place.

"That was... unnecessary," said the large man with blonde hair in a deep voice.

"Ow... thanks..." I said.

"You are welcome," said the girl.

"So, who are you guys?" Asked the guy with silver hair.

"I'm Alex," I said.

"The name's Axel. Got it memorized?" Said Axel. He looked over at the girl who was still holding him over her shoulder. "Let me down already. I can walk."

"Roger," said the girl. She let him go and Axel dropped onto the ground. He slowly got back up.

"That wasn't very nice," he said as he dusted himself off. I looked over at the girl with brown hair.

"I am sorry for all the trouble you have had go through. I'm Shion Uzuki. Behind you is KOS-MOS," she said. Then she looked over at the others.

"I'm Gaignun Jr, or Jr for short," said the kid with red hair.

"Nice to meet you. My name is MOMO," said the girl with pink hair.

"Ziggy," said the large man.

"_Sound's like a dog's name," _I said in my thoughts.

"I'm chaos," said the guy with silver hair.

"I am Jin Uzuki. Shion is my little sister," said the guy with black hair.

"Okay, with intros out of the way... why don't you guys explain what you are doing onboard the Durandal?" Asked Jr.

"Well..." I started. Axel and I began to explain how we were from a different world and how I was on a quest to unlock my hidden powers to defeat a group of bad guys. We left out some details here and there like the Heartless but they aren't that important anyway.

"I must say I have heard some crazy stories before but that beats them all," said Jr.

"It's almost hard to believe," said Jin.

"I don't sense that you guys are lying, and you don't look like trouble makers," said Jr.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Asked Shion.

"I... don't know," I said.

"If we think of something we will let you guys know," said Axel. He looked at me. "Speaking of which, do we have any leads?" I sighed.

"None what so ever." Suddenly everything stopped moving. "Huh?" Suddenly it felt like I was being pulled to another location, like I was being pulled out of the ship and into space. After awhile a large golden object appeared before me. "W-what is that?" I asked. It was shaped like a strange cross of some sort and it had a strange looking design on the front of it and a green gem in the center. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain inside my head. I gripped my head and kneeled down in pain. Then I was back inside the ship on the bridge. I felt very light headed, as if I was losing consciousness. I stumbled down and everything was still not moving. Everything but chaos. He walked over to me and I looked up at him.

"What's... happening to me?" I asked.

"This is the beginning for you," said chaos.

"Huh?"

"You will find what you are looking for soon. May you rest well, even if you rest is but a short one." I fell to the ground and my eyes closed.

* * *

Axel's POV

* * *

All of a sudden Alex suddenly fell down and he didn't get back up. I bent down and started shaking him by his shoulder.

"Hey, hey, get a hold of yourself. What's wrong with you?" I asked. Shion bent down and looked at him, then at me.

"He appears to be unconscious," said Shion.

"Hmm... that's strange. Why all of a sudden?" Asked Ziggy.

"Who knows? We should get him to the medical facility," said Jr. Alex was taken to a room in another area of the ship. I followed them since I didn't know this place at all. Of course I wouldn't know anything about this place so it was the only option I had. They started doing various examinations as they tried to find the cause as to why Alex had gone unconscious. There was another guy there. He had short brown hair and green eyes. He wore a strange golden outfit with black on the sides. Apparently his name is Allen.

"So what's wrong with this guy?" Asked Allen.

"I don't know," said Shion.

"Hmm... this is weird," said Allen as he looked at the brainwave scanner.

"What's weird about it?" I asked.

"These brain waves are identical to what they would look like when someone dives into an encephalon."

"Encepha... what?" I asked.

"An Encephalon is a sort of virtual reality in which memories can intertwine and create a world based on those memories."

"I see... so what do we do?"

"The only way to get him out of this state is by finding him and getting him out of his own mind," said Shion.

"But Chief, we can't do that. That would be too dangerous," protested Allen.

"Regardless, I want to help him. He won't wake up unless we help him out of there."

"So we have to go into his mind and find him," said Ziggy.

"That's right," said Allen.

"But if we enter his mind what memories will take form?" Asked MOMO.

"Well, probably his memories and the memories of those who had ties with him."

"Then some of my memories will be there too," I said.

"Hold on everyone, I will go get the dive equipment," said Allen as he walked off. He came back a few minutes later and brought the equipment with him. He everyone a red band of glass that went around the eyes. I put it on and looked over at Shion.

"So, this thing will allow us to enter Alex's mind?"

"Yes. Now we just have to wait for everything to be set up," said Shion.

* * *

Alex's POV

* * *

When I woke up, I was lying down on the ground. I got up to see that I was in Ansem's study. I looked around to see the real Ansem sitting at the desk. In front of him were two men. Xehanort, and...

"Father!" I shouted. I ran towards him and held out my hand but he didn't reply. "Father?" I asked. I tried to put my hand on his shoulder but it went right through him. "What's going on here?" I asked.

"Here is the data from the experiment," said Xehanort as he handed Ansem a chart. Ansem quickly reviewed the chart and looked up at Xehanort.

"Thank you, Xehanort. That will be all, you are dismissed," said Ansem. Xehanort bowed and began to walk towards the door. "Oh, and Xehanort." He turned around.

"Yes?"

"Don't forget that the barbeque is tonight. It would be a shame to miss it," said Ansem. He then grinned. "Besides, there will be some beautiful young women at this event too. You could get a chance to talk to that girl you told me about, the one you have feelings for." Xehanort turned a bright shade of red and looked down at the ground.

"M-master Ansem, it's not like that." Ansem laughed.

"You can't fool me. It's so obvious that you like her. So why don't you say something to her already?"

"Go get her tiger," said my Father as he poked Xehanort in the ribs.

"Not you too, Aldax," said Xehanort who was still blushing.

"Come on, you can do it." Xehanort sighed and smiled.

"Alright, alright, if you two are going to be pestering me about this all evening I will talk to her about it," said Xehanort.

"That's the spirit," said Ansem. Xehanort bowed and walked out of the room. My father looked back at Ansem.

"Ansem, do you think that he really will tell her?" Asked my Father.

"Of course he will. Once Xehanort says he will do something, he will do it," said Ansem. Suddenly there was a bright flash of light and Ansem and Aldax disappeared. Slowly the room faded into darkness, only leaving the door.

"What was that all about?" I asked. I walked towards the door and opened it. Next thing I knew it I was in the realm of darkness. There stood DiZ with my Father in an Organization XIII outfit.

"I see... so it was a good idea to have you become a Nobody. This will allow us to keep an eye on what they are planning," said DiZ. That voice... so DiZ is Ansem the Wise. Just as I thought... and that voice... could it be?

"Yes, everything is going as I predicted," said my Father.

"Then that means that..." Started DiZ.

"Yes, I am going to die soon."

"What about your son? And your prediction?"

"That's why we created the Genesis Circuit."

"This is a painful role for your son to play." My father nodded.

"I know, but he is the only one I can trust with this mission. He's the only one who can do it." He looked at the ground sadly. "I don't think we will ever meet again after this. Goodbye, Ansem. I'm sorry it has to end like this." DiZ/Ansem placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I thank you for everything you have done." The images faded away, leaving me in the darkness.

"_Now do you understand?" _Asked a familiar voice. I looked over to see Nephilim standing there.

"Nephilim?" I asked.

"_Does it make sense now?"_ I nodded.

"Yeah, I think my Father must have had the power to see the future. That's how he knew what was going to happen. So what did he do that would lead to his death?" I asked.

"_You will find out, if you can pass the trial of your memories," _said Nephilim. A door appeared in front of me.

"A door?"

"_Yes, beyond this door is nothing but painful memories. You will find no light or hope here, only agony, sadness, and despair."_ Said Nephilim. _"But, if you should pass this trial you will be able to obtain the power that you seek and the answers to your questions too." _

"Maybe not all of them." Nephilim looked at me with a curious and confused look.

"_What do you mean?"_ I grinned.

"You will know soon enough," I said. Nephilim seemed interested in my words, then she disappeared. I grabbed the door's handle. "I am not afraid of those memories," I said. I opened the door. And I was surrounded by light. The light faded and I was back at Arkives. It was the day of the fire, I saw myself standing there crying. The young me, a lost child who had lost his family. As I saw him crying, the pain returned to me. I clenched my fist tightly and placed it where my heart is.

"_Keep walking and you will find the light," _said a voice. Normally I would ask who was there but all that mattered right now was completing this trial. The next memory was when Earth was destroyed. I saw myself fall to the ground screaming in denial. The pain got stronger, I stood strong and continued walking. Finally, I came to the worst memory. The day Luther died. I watched him die all over again, and it was as painful as last time. A tear fell down my cheek as the pain of loss returned to me. Then I watched as Fayt and the others were deleted and then finally myself. Then I was standing there in darkness with nothing around me.

"Luther, I wasn't strong enough to save you. I hope you can forgive me," I said. Then I clenched my fist. "But there is one thing I can do! I will make sure that no one ever has to go through the pain that I have had to go through. I will stop Organization XIII! I DO NOT FEAR THE PAST! And I don't fear death!" I shouted. Suddenly a proclaimer appeared before me.

"_Conquer your past and you will be free," _said the voice again. I summoned my Katana.

"Begone you fowl creature, may you never haunt me again," I said. I charged towards the Proclaimer. I slashed at it but it dodged the attack. I jumped into the air and slashed at it again. It stumbled back from the damage. Then I grabbed it and threw it to the ground. I shot a flare spell at it and it was shot up into the air again. Then I jumped higher up and stabbed my sword into the proclaimer's gut. It slowly faded away and an Enforcer appeared. I charged towards it as I dodged it's energy attacks. I threw my sword at it and it stabbed right through the Enforcer. It began to fall to the ground when I jumped onto it, pulled out the sword, and chopped it's head off. Then a Convictor appeared. It summoned a tornado which I managed to avoid.

"Die!" I shouted as I slashed it in half. Then all of a sudden a copy of me popped up. "So you are the next challenger. Bring it on!" I charged towards him and brought my sword down towards him. He pulled out a swallow and blocked the attack. He slashed at me several times and I dodged his attacks. Then he jumped into the air and threw the swallow at me. I back flipped away from the attack and then he retrieved his weapon. He held it out and the blades grew to a large size. He slashed at me, I jumped into the air and landed on one of the blades. I snapped the swallow in half and then started slashing at him. Each attack hit and then I stabbed him right into the gut. He fell over and disappeared.

A door appeared, one that looked exactly like the one I used to begin this trial. I opened it and there was a large flash of light. As the light faded I was back in the realm of darkness. In front of me was my Father and a woman with yellow hair and blue eyes. Each one was carrying a child.

"I'm sorry, Larxene. This is for the best," said My Father. The woman, Larxene, shook her head.

"It's fine. I don't want my daughter to become a pawn of Xemnas. The only thing he really cares about is himself," said Larxene. Aldax looked up at the sky.

"Saïx won't be too happy about this when he finds out."

"Well he can take his opinions and shove them up his ass. We both got careless and ended up drunk. That is why I am here tonight." Aldax nodded.

"I agree, I don't want my son to become a member of the Organization."

"You never were a member anyway," said Larxene as if giving him a reminder.

"I would never betray Ansem. He is like a Father to me." Larxene looked down at her child.

"Goodbye. We may never see each other again. And just to spill a little secret..." Larxene smiled. "You were the only one I ever trusted and liked." She handed My Father her child. She took a step back and folded her arms.

"You've got guts to be doing this. The second Xemnas finds out he is going to be hunting you down. You will be killed if you are found." My Father nodded.

"I know, but it's for the best. For Alex's sake."

"Good luck to you, Aldax," said Larxene and she waved goodbye. My Father grinned and then he opened a portal of darkness and walked through it. Then the images faded away, leaving me in the Dark City all alone.

"_You know who those two children were, right?" _Asked Nephilim as she appeared right next to me. I nodded.

"Yeah, Maria and I," I said.

"_Your Father wanted you to live a life of peace. Away from Organization XIII. But he knew this wasn't possible, that you would one day confront them. But that's why he entrusted you with the task of fighting them alongside Sora. So you could live the way you want to. With that said, do you know the answer to this question?" _

"What's the question?"

"_Is there such thing as Destiny?" _I shook my head.

"No, there is no such thing as Destiny. We are free to choose our own path, we determine the outcome by our actions." Nephilim nodded and smiled.

"_That's a good answer." _Nephilim pointed towards the large castle in the sky. _"That is your destination. That is where you will find your hidden power." _Then Nephilim disappeared.

* * *

Back outside of the Encephalon, Allen sat at desk watching over the various data tables and camera of what was happening inside the Encephalon. Everything was going well, but he was still worried about the chief. What if something happened to her? After all, he did...

"Is there room for one more in this Encephalon thing?" Asked a voice. Allen looked over.

"Huh? Who are you?" He asked.

* * *

Back in the Encephalon. Shion, KOS-MOS, chaos, Ziggy, MOMO, Jr, Jin, and Axel were walking around in the Dark City.

"This place is so creepy," said MOMO.

"You should see the real version of this place," said Axel. Axel stopped walking as he saw himself leaning against the wall. A kid with blonde, spiky hair, blue eyes, and an Organization XIII outfit walked by. "Roxas!"

"Your mind's made up?" Asked Axel. Roxas stopped walking.

"Why did the keyblade choose me? I want to know." Axel snapped around.

"You can't turn on the Organization! You get on their bad side and they will destroy you!" He said. Roxas shook his head and closed his eyes.

"No one would miss me," he said as he continued walking. Axel shook his head.

"That's not true!" He paused and looked at the ground. "I would." The images disappeared and Axel just starred in shock.

"Was that what you guys were talking about, that my memories would be here?" Asked Axel as he looked over at Shion on the others.

"Memories in the encephalon play back as if it was actually happening right then and there," said Shion.

"Who was that guy you were talking to?" Asked Jr.

"That was Roxas. He is my best friend, or he was, but then some things happened and I am not sure he even exists any more."

"Was this the last time you saw him?" Asked Jin. Axel shook his head.

"No, I saw him again almost a year later which was not too long ago. Those few times would be the last." They continued walking while looking around for Alex. As they reached the Memory Sky Scraper they stopped as they saw another memory playing out. There were two people in Organization XIII outfits fighting, one had a hood one while the other didn't. The one without a hood had long silver hair and was wearing a blind fold over his eyes. They were fighting with a Keyblade. At one point the one with silver hair fell to the ground.

"Why? Why do you have the Keyblade?" He demanded. The other guy looked at his Keyblade then up at the guy on the ground.

"Shut up." He slashed at him but then the other guy leapt up and slashed him causing the other guy to fall to the ground and his hood came off. It was Roxas. Then the guy with silver hair walked towards him and the images disappeared. Axel looked over at Shion and the others.

"Wait a minute, this Encephalon thing is supposed to show the memories of those who share time and space in this place, right?" Asked Axel.

"Yes, that's how it works," said chaos.

"How is it that one of Roxas' memories popped in there?"

"There is a 99.99998 PercentProbability that this Roxas person is in the Encephalon. Which would explain why his memories are here," said KOS-MOS.

"But he's NOT here."

"She's right Axel," said a familiar voice. Axel shot around and he starred in shock as he saw who it was. "My memories wouldn't be here if I wasn't in this Encephalon."

"Roxas? What are you doing here?" Roxas grinned.

"That's no way to say hello."

"Well it's good to see you again," said Axel with a smile. Roxas nodded.

"Same here."

"So, how did you get here?"

"I have Alex to thank for it," said Roxas as if he was dodging the question to some extent. Then he turned around and began walking. As he did he disappeared.

"_I get it now. At some point Roxas must have encountered Alex, putting his heart in contact with Alex's. That must have given Roxas some sort of ability to temporarily walk around outside of Sora." _Said Axel in his thoughts.

"Where did he go?" Asked MOMO. Axel shrugged.

"Beats me," he said, even though he was lying through his teeth. Then they continued walking. After awhile...

* * *

Alex's POV

* * *

I turned around to see Axel and the others walking towards me. I had never expected to see them here.

"What are you guys doing here? What is this place anyway?" I asked.

"This is the world inside your mind, your memories change it's form," said Shion.

"My mind? Then what are you guys doing in here?" Then they told me about the Encephalon and how they entered my mind. "I see..." I looked up at the large castle that was floating above us. "It's up there." I said. There was a pathway of light that lead up to the entrance of the castle. I looked over at everyone.

"Are you ready?" I asked. They all nodded.

"I'm sorry to have gotten all of you involved in my personal little quest," I said.

"It's okay," said Shion.

"Besides, without our help you wouldn't be able to get out of here," said Jr.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"When you passed out you entered your own mind, we found out that the only way to wake you up would be to dive into your mind and find you," said Shion.

"I see, I don't quite understand why this would happen to me." We walked up the bridge towards the glowing entrance as we arrived there was a bright flash of light. When the light faded we were no longer in the World That Never Was. We were on a strange wasteland with patches of grass here and there. In the distance were mountains. The time of day was around sunset. I looked around at this unusual place.

"Is this place you went to in the past?" Asked Axel. I shook my head.

"No. I have never been here before, I am sure of it," I said.

"And I haven't been here either," said Axel.

"Anyone else been here before?" Asked Shion as she looked at everyone. They all shook their heads. "Then why did we end up here?"

"Are you sure you haven't been here before?" Asked Ziggy as he looked over at me.

"Yeah, I would remember a place like this. But the weird thing is..."

"Yes?" Asked Shion.

"This place has a strange familiarity to it, I know I haven't been here and yet I feel like I have."

"Is that even possible?" Asked chaos.

"And what's with all of these strange weapons sticking in the ground?" Asked Jin. Axel and I looked around to see that we were surrounded by Keyblades, forming a cross roads of sorts.

"Keyblades?" Said Axel.

"What are all these doing here?" I asked.

"There is enough for an army of Keyblade wielders." I looked at the three Keyblades in the center and ran towards them.

"This is... Sora's Keyblade! And the King's!" I said.

"I thought they looked familiar. It was hard to tell at first." I looked closely at Sora's Keyblade and then pulled it out of the ground.

"Yeah, it's because it's all rusted. But last time I saw Sora summon it, I looked new and shiny, but here it's old, rusted, and a bit dusty." Axel starred in shock. "What?"

"Try slashing that Keyblade around a little," said Axel.

"Okay," I said as I slashed the Keyblade out. Then I continued to look at it. "Why did you want me to do that?" I asked.

"You... you're are Keyblade Wielder."

"I am? How do you figure that?"

"You can hold a Keyblade without it disappearing."

"What?" I asked, now totally confused. Axel sighed.

"You really don't know anything. Keyblades are very picky, they choose who can wield them. And it looks like the Keyblade chose you, got it memorized?"

"What qualities do they look for?" Axel shrugged.

"I don't know. All I know is that you need a Heart in order to use one."

"Wow, this is a pretty weapon," said MOMO. Axel and I shot around to see MOMO holding a keyblade. It was decorated with Flowers and looked rather girly. "But I don't see how it would be that good of a weapon."

"You're right. This one looks like it would shatter if you hit something hard enough with it," said Shion who was also holding a Keyblade.

"The quality of these weapons is amazing. It appears as if they are made to be a lot stronger than they look," said KOS-MOS as she was slashing at imaginary enemies with a Keyblade.

"Yes these are amazing weapons, and they have a very strange feeling to them," said Jin as he held a Keyblade in his hand too.

"Yeah, I feel powerful, just holding this thing," said Jr.

"If that's the case with just holding it, think of what it would be like to use one in combat," said Ziggy who was also holding one. Axel and I looked at each other and starred in shock. Every single one of them was able to wield a Keyblade.

"How's that possible?" I asked Axel.

"I don't know. What I DO know is that this is really weird." I nodded.

"Agreed." Suddenly the keychain that King Mickey gave to me flew out of my pocket. It was glowing with energy. "What the?" There was a blinding flash of light. As the light faded there were four podiums. The one in front of me had a Keyblade covered in stone stuck in it. I put my hand on the handle.. "Is this my hidden power?" I asked.

"What was that flash of light?" Asked chaos. Axel and I looked over to see that everyone had walked over to where we were standing.

"A sculpture?" Asked Jr. I shook my head.

"No, it doesn't seem like it," I said. I looked back at the keyblade. "I wonder..." I tightened my grip on the handle and began to pull upwards. The Keyblade began to shimmer and then the ground began to shake.

"What's happening?" Exclaimed Axel. I continued to try and pull it up. The sky suddenly became silver. Lightning began to shoot down and it circled around me. I looked in the distance to see a dark sun slowly beginning to rise. Suddenly the Keyblade came out. I held it up into the air and the lightning moved upwards towards it and then the keyblade began to glow. There was a blinding flash of light, forcing me to close my eyes. As I opened them again I saw that the Keyblade had changed.

"Whoa..." I said. In my hand was a silver Keyblade. It had gold lines going down it with runes on each part. At the end of the Keyblade where the teeth of key would be. Was a black half sun that had silver energy emitting off the keyblade, forming the teeth.

"_Dark Horizon... Dark Horizon... Chosen Wielder... Master of Keyblade..." _Said a voice. The sky went back to a normal sunset sky.

"Dark Horizon?" Asked Ziggy.

"It must be the name of this Keyblade," I said as I held it up.

"I wonder, what sort of qualities allow people to use a Keyblade," said Axel.

"The heart that is strong and true shall win the Keyblade," said a echoing voice. We looked up to see a shadowy figure walking towards us far off in the distance.

"Be careful, I am sensing an immense power coming from this person," said KOS-MOS. We got ready to fight when all of a sudden everything faded into the light. When the light faded away I was lying down on a couch of some sort. I looked around to see Shion and the others slowly opening their eyes. A guy with brown hair and green eyes looked over at us.

"Welcome back," he said. Shion smiled and held a thumbs up.

"Mission Accomplished," she said. She looked over to see a Dive Unit sitting on the couch next to her. "I don't remember this being here," she said.

"Oh yeah, some guy with blonde spiky hair and blue eyes came in and asked if he could enter the Encephalon. I asked him why and he said he was a friend of Axel's and also was an acquaintance of Alex's. I gave him the last unit and shortly afterwards he disappeared."

"So that's how he got here," said Axel. I looked over at Axel.

"Who are you talking about?" I asked.

"Oh it's nothing," said Axel. Then he smiled. "By the way, thanks Alex."

"Huh?"

* * *

So what happens next now that Alex has obtained his hidden power? Find out in the next chapter. Speaking of the next chapter, the Star Ocean 3 crew will have a part of it dedicated to them. It's been awhile since they last appeared so it's time they had another scene. Anyway, please review. 


	15. Reunited

Thank you all who reviewed! I forgot to mention one detail about Alex's Keyblade. The keychain for this Keyblade is the keychain that King Mickey gave to Alex. Just thought I should add that little detail. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean, Kingdom Hearts, or Xenosaga.

* * *

Chapter 15: Reunited

Fayt and the others stood before the opening in the wall that lead outside of the town.

"I can't believe we didn't see something like this sooner," said Fayt.

"I agree, this shouldn't have been overlooked so many times. We must have been careless," said Albel.

"Well that doesn't matter. What matters is we found a place we haven't checked yet," said Cliff.

"He's right. This is no time for regrets," said Dr. Leingod.

"So what's beyond this wall?" Asked Adray as he looked over at Nel.

"A small forest, beyond that is a strange mansion. It's very suspicious," said Nel.

"Let's go check it out then. Aren't places like that usually the location of some big secret?" Asked Sophia.

"I don't know. That's rather stereotypical," said Fayt.

"Well, it can't hurt to check it out," said Cliff. Fayt nodded.

"Right, let's go." They walked through the hole and through the forest. They stopped walking as they stood before the large mansion. Cliff looked around at the surrounding area.

"Say, is it just me... or does this place seem a little... quiet," he said.

"Too quiet," said Nel. Suddenly a bunch of Nobodies popped up out of nowhere. Everyone began to get out their weapons.

"Somehow, I was sort of expecting that," said Albel. The group then proceeded to fight the Nobodies. Fayt cut and slashed at nearby Nobodies, Sophia unleashed various Symbology spells and would occasionally clobber a Nobody with her staff. Cliff unleashed a storm of punches at his foes. Albel slashed through a few at a time while laughing maniacally. Nel jumped around and slashed at various Nobodies. Adray was using both his sword and symbology to fight the enemy. Dr. Leingod helped out by shooting at nearby Nobodies. It didn't take long for them to finish off the Nobodies.

"With those things popping up, then we must be at the enemies base," said Fayt.

"Not quite," said a voice. A portal of darkness appeared and Maria stood there. "You see, this is actually the gate to the front yard of our base. But it's not like you would be able to go any further."

"You've got a lot of nerves to be popping up after that little stunt that you pulled," said Cliff as he cracked his knuckles.

"Why are you doing this, Maria?" Asked Fayt.

"Because, it is for my sake. As well as my Father's," said Maria as she held out her hands to the sky.

"What do you mean by that?" Asked Nel.

"Each Heartless slain by the Keyblade unleashes a captive heart. Those hearts weave together in darkness. As they combine, a great heart is created. It has more power than anything you could ever imagine," said Maria. Then she lowered her hands. "And when the day comes, we will use that power to make all Nobodies complete beings once more." She smiled and turned her back. "That's where Sora, that little naive Keyblade wielder, comes in."

"Sora?" Asked Sophia. Then Maria turned her head slightly to look at everyone.

"And of course, he has the help of his little friends. Donald, Goofy, and Alex Rothrock." Fayt and the others stepped back in shock as they heard a familiar name.

"Alex?" Exclaimed Nel.

"He's alive?" Asked Cliff. Maria laughed and turned around.

"Of course he's alive. We were deleted, yet we returned. If that's the case for us then the same would go for Alex too," said Maria.

"He's really alive, but what's he doing out in this Universe?" Asked Fayt. Maria shrugged.

"Beats me, if you really want to know... why don't you ask him yourself?" She folded her arms and sighed. "But..." She grinned. "That is... if you can find him. But why would you want to find him anyway?"

"Because he is our friend! He is really strong and he could help us out. With our combined strength we will have nothing to worry about if we encounter Organization XIII!" Said Sophia. Maria glared.

"What a load of shit. That weakling wouldn't be able to help you at all. We already fought with him and defeated him," she snarled.

"What? Did he..." Started Cliff. Maria shook her head.

"No, unfortunately he didn't die. We captured him and then he escaped not too long afterwards. His current location is unknown, not that I care."

"What? How can you say that?" Asked Nel.

"You thought of him as a friend, it was obvious," said Fayt.

"The Alex we knew is long gone!" Shouted Maria Angrily. "The one I respected, the one I saw as a friend, he is dead and is replaced by a weak, mental train wreck." Said Maria as her fist shook.

"Maria..." Maria was silent for awhile. Then she looked back up at the group.

"If you know what's good for you... turn back now. Do not go any further. That's your only warning," said Maria as she disappeared into a portal of darkness. Fayt and the others were dead silent. A lot had happened just know and they needed time to think. After awhile they finally began to talk.

"Maria... she sounded very upset back there," said Nel.

"Yeah, she did," said Fayt.

"So, Alex has returned. Who would have thought?" Said Cliff.

"So what now?" Asked Adray.

"We will search the mansion. We won't let an empty threat stop us," said Fayt. The group then walked through the open gate and into the mansion.

* * *

Meanwhile... back on Elicoor II. Things were totally chaotic. Nobodies and Heartless swarmed in the regions of Airyglyph and Aquaria. By the day their numbers increased. It was too dangerous for the average person to walk outside because they would get attacked. Clair and the other officers were having a hell of a time trying to hold off the enemy. Casualties just kept on increasing to staggering levels.

"Use Runological Weapons to take out the ones coming from the mountains. Airyglyph will take care of the enemies coming from the Aire Hills," said Clair as she discussed the situation with the other officials. A soldier ran into the room.

"Lady Clair, a report from the checkpoint near Peterny. A mass of enemies are coming towards Arias!" Exclaimed the soldier.

"How many?" Asked Clair as she looked over.

"At least 5,000!" Clair tightened her jaw. She knew that the scraps of Aquaria's military wouldn't be enough to handle that many. One year's time wasn't enough to recover that much strength. Had this happened only five years later this wouldn't be happening.

"When will they be here?"

"They are almost at the gates!" Clair looked down.

"Looks like this is the end for us. Assemble all forces remaining and hold them off!" Exclaimed Clair. A force was quickly assembled and brought out to the ruins that which used to be the town of Arias. Already thousands of Heartless and Nobodies were advancing towards the gate. Some were already beginning to crawl over the walls. "So this is how it ends." Suddenly there was massive explosion, destroying many Heartless and Nobodies. "What?"

"Lady Clair, look!" Said Farleen as she pointed up at the top of the mansion roof. There stood a man in strange armor covered by a black cloak. Covering his face was a mask, but Clair couldn't see the details of it. He looked down at her and he jumped off of the building. He landed perfectly on his feet.

"Did you, just destroy all of those enemies?" Asked Clair. The man nodded.

"That's right," he said. There was something strange about his voice, Clair couldn't describe it.

"Who are you?"

"Raxiel, at your service," said the man as he bowed.

"I'm sorry to ask you of this. But we need anyone who can fight. The situation is becoming grave. We can't win now that we are totally outnumbered," said Clair.

"We just don't have enough numbers," said Tynave. Raxiel folded his arms.

"There is no need. Victory is yours now that I, Raxiel have come." He summoned a strange weapon (that looks VERY similar to the Dark Horizon.)

* * *

Switching back to Alex and Axel...

* * *

We sat in the room where I had been taken to when I when unconscious. Everyone had left but we decided to stay here and talk about what had just happened.

"Who would have thought? An entire group of Keyblade Wielders," said Axel.

"Yeah, but based on the amount of Keyblades that we saw there it's not really a surprise. Perhaps there are many other people who can use a Keyblade," I said. Axel nodded.

"Oh yeah, you're right. There were others." I looked over at Axel.

"Were? What happened to them?" I asked.

"A few of them were killed by Organization XIII." I looked down at the ground.

"I see..." Then I looked back over at Axel. "So what do you think of our new friends?"

"Well..." Axel pondered this for a few seconds. "They aren't normal." I nodded.

"Agreed. Out of the entire group only two felt like normal humans. Jin and Shion. But at the same time... Shion..."

"You sensed it too?" Asked Axel. I nodded.

"Yeah, there is something about her. I can't quite put my finger on it but there is something that makes her different. And... then there is KOS-MOS."

"There is no way that she is just a machine. You need to have a heart to use a Keyblade. But since she is an android she shouldn't have one. Yet she was able to wield a Keyblade."

"You're right. I sense that there is more to KOS-MOS than what meets the eye." Axel shifted nervously.

"Man this is creeping me out. Ever since we got here I have been sensing some really big power sources," said Axel as he put a hand behind his head.

"Really? So have I, but my ability to sense things seems to have changed," I said.

"That's because you have gained your dark powers finally. Visiting the Realm of Darkness did that to you. Now your senses are strong enough to identify people by their scent."

"So that's what he meant," I said as Ansem's words came back to me. "Anyway, I have been sensing a strange source of power outside of the ship. It's very far away but here is the interesting part: It's like chaos' scent. I could say it is exactly the same."

" chaos..." Said Axel. He looked over at me. "He ranks pretty high up and the Far-From-Normal chart. And he has a very strong aura about him, so how many people have this scent you spoke of?" I closed my eyes for a few seconds and then opened them.

"There are five of them excluding chaos." I said.

"So Yeshua is here?" Asked a voice. Axel and I jumped 10 feet into the air (not literally). The Dark Horizon appeared in my hand. "I never thought I would see him again." I looked at Axel.

"Wait a minute... did your Keyblade just talk?" Asked Axel. I looked at it.

"Yes I did just talk," said the Dark Horizon.

"Keyblades can talk?" I asked.

"Not all Keyblades. Just the four of us." I didn't say anything. "Since you are holding me then you are obviously my Wielder. What's your name?"

"I'm Alex."

"Hello, Alex. I am the Dark Horizon. I'm glad to finally meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too." Then the Dark Horizon disappeared. As it did the door opened. There stood chaos in the opening.

"There you two are, it's time for dinner," he said with a smile on his face.

"Oh boy, food! I'm starvin," said Axel. I got up from where I was sitting.

"Me too," I said. I looked over at chaos. "Show us the way, cause we don't know where to go."

"This way," said chaos. We followed him down the hallway and towards a circular train that was red. He selected an area labeled "Dock" and the door opened. We walked into the train and it closed.

"_Reminds me of the train station in Twilight Town," _I said in my thoughts. We arrived at the Dock. There was a medium sized ship docked there. It was green and white and was very nice looking. On the side were words in red paint, it said: "Elsa von Brabant" Must be some sort of Luxury cruiser. We walked into the ship and chaos led us to a place labeled "Restaurant." Inside was Shion and the others along with several other people who I didn't know.

"The food is ready, come on and get it," said Shion. We walked over to a table where there was a large silver pot. Shion handed the three of us a plate with a bed of rice on it.

"Rice?" Asked Axel.

"It's part of the dinner," said Shion as she removed the pot lid. She pulled out a large spoon and reached in and pulled out a spoonful of the pot's content. I smiled as I saw what it was.

"Ooooh, curry!" I exclaimed. Shion looked over at me.

"You have had curry before?" I nodded.

"Yup, my Mom used to make it all the time."

"Hopefully you will like this," said Shion as she placed the Curry onto the bed of rice on my plate.

"What's curry?" Asked Axel.

"Curry is a dish where you mix various things together like chicken and fruits or vegetables and you mix it with this spice called curry. It is placed on a bed of rice."

"It sounds really good," said Axel as his mouth began to water. Shion put Curry on Axel and chaos' plate. We headed over to the table where everyone that we knew was sitting.

"I was wondering where you two were," said Jr. Axel and I sat down.

"Well we had a few things to discuss and we kind of lost track of time," I said.

"Of course, you guys just arrived on this ship today so you wouldn't know where anything is," said Jin. A guy with yellow eyes and short orange hair looked at Axel and I.

"So these are the two that suddenly appeared?" He asked. Jin nodded.

"That's right, Canaan. They are Alex and Axel."

"I see."

"Are you sure it's okay to let these guys walk around? They look suspicious as hell," said the guy next to Canaan. He a blue T-Shirt on (and I don't know what kind of pants he is wearing or what color they are. But that doesn't really matter.) and a red hat that says: 'Caution, I'm a Boozer. Banzai! Banzai!' He had short brown hair and blue eyes.

"The Captains right," said a guy to the right of Jin. He had blonde hair and green eyes. He had a gray sleeve-less shirt on. And some sort of chain or dog-tag was hanging down from his neck.

"Do you think they are from another universe?" Asked the guy on the other side of the table. He had blonde hair and hazel eyes and he wore glasses. He was wearing a black shirt with a brown leather jacket over it. He also seemed to be wearing some sort of blue helmet which his hair stuck out of.

"Ya Moron. Of course they aren't from this Universe. You don't see weirdos like them running around all the time now do you?" Asked the first guy.

"The guy next to Canaan is Captain Matthews, he is the captain of the Elsa," said chaos. "The one to the right of Jin is Tony, the Elsa's Pilot. And the one on the other side of the table is Hammer. He is the Navigator."

"I'm Alex," I said.

"I'm Axel, got it memorized?" Asked Axel.

"Why do you always say that?" Asked MOMO.

"It's my catchphrase."

"You don't suppose they are some kind of Gnosis, do you?" Asked Captain Matthews. Axel and I looked at each other.

"Gnosis?" We asked.

"That answers your question," said Jr as he looked over at Captain Matthews.

"I guess so, but I am still not sure what to think of them," he said. Shion walked over to where we were sitting and sat down.

"Okay everyone, let's eat!" She said. I picked some of the curry up with my spoon and took a bite.

"Wow this is really good!" I said. Shion smiled.

"Thanks. This is my specialty."

"Really?" I looked over at Axel. "What do you think of it?" He was smiling like a lunatic.

"This is really good," he said. "It's good and spicy, just the way that I LIKE IT!" Exclaimed Axel as his eyes went wide and he looked excited. "It burns!" With a quick hand motion, KOS-MOS smacked Axel on the back of his head. "What was that for?" He asked, seeming annoyed.

"There is no need to get excited about food tasting spicy," said KOS-MOS.

"She has a point," said Ziggy.

"Anyway, Hothead aside, could you tell us more about this world?" I asked.

"Sure," said Shion. The group then began to explain all of these things. The Zohar, Miltia, Joachim Mizrahi, the Miltian Conflict, the Gnosis, the list just kept going on and on. All of these terms and names. Axel put a hand on his head.

"My head hurts now," said Axel.

"So now what? Any ideas on how to find the Zohar?" I asked.

"Not a one, we have no idea what that thing was or where it came from. It disappeared as quickly as it had appeared," said Jr.

"And it took the Zohar, which is needed for the Zohar Project?"

"Yes, and the Gnosis are increasing in numbers," Jin.

"That's not good. Well let me know if there is anything I can do to help you guys," I said.

"What? You want to help?" Asked a surprised Jr.

"Why? You aren't even from this Universe," said Ziggy.

"It's because... you guys helped me when I was in trouble. I owe you guys one," I said.

"Do you have any idea what you are getting yourself into?" Asked Allen.

"Not really, but I have a debt to pay."

"Thanks for your offer. We will let you know if we need help with anything," said Shion as she held out her hand. I shook her hand.

"You're pretty cool. Well, hopefully you will be around if we do need a hand," said Jr as he held out his hand. I shook his hand and nodded.

"I hope so too."

"Right... before you start getting involved in business that doesn't concern you..." Started Axel. I looked over at him. "You still have a job you need to take care of. Remember that promise you made to Kairi? And Sora's Journey isn't over yet." I put a hand on my head as I remembered that.

"Oh, right! I almost forgot! Kairi would kill me if she found out that I wasn't keeping Sora from getting killed!" I said. "Speaking of that, that raises another question: How are we going to get back? We used that weird sphere thing last time but by now it is probably crushed into a million pieces."

"Simple, we just open a portal of darkness," said Axel.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course!" Said Axel with a grin But then the grin faded and he looked down at the ground. "Well that's what I would like to say but honestly I have no idea. It seems as if we are in another Universe and I don't know if there are limits to crossing Universes or not."

"We won't know until we try," I said. Axel nodded.

"True, but first... we should finish dinner."

"Agreed." We continued to eat. Although Axel didn't seem interested in getting to know these people, I was. We all spent an hour or two talking about various topics. I think that was probably the most friends I have ever made in a single day. After we were done we went to the park, we all agreed it would be a good place to say goodbye.

"It's time for us to leave," said Axel.

"I won't forget the kindness you have shown us," I said.

"Don't worry about it, we all need a little help sometimes," said chaos.

"True."

"This is also goodbye between us too," said Shion.

"How come?" I asked.

"Now that things have quieted down it's time for all of us to go our separate ways," said Jr.

"Come back and visit sometime. You could meet my Mommy," said MOMO.

"You will come back to visit... right?" Asked Shion. I nodded.

"Of course," I said.

"Maybe, once I've gotten my objectives completed," said Axel.

"And when you two visit next time..." Started Jin.

"Oh no," said Shion. He smiled with his weird grin.

"Maybe you will be interested in buying a book or two from my store," said Jin.

"What kind of sales pitch is that? Besides, I thought you said you were getting a new job," said Shion.

"Well if it can put some money into my pocket book I don't see what's wrong with it." Shion sighed.

"What am I going to do with you?"

"Sibling love," said Jr. "I know all about that." I looked over at Axel.

"Have you tried to open a portal yet?" I asked. "If it doesn't work then so much for goodbyes."

"Yeah, we might want to try that out," said Axel as he held up his hand. Nothing happened. He closed his eyes, nothing happened. He began to twitch as he tightened his muscles, nothing happened. He was breathing heavily too. "It's not working."

"Looks like we are staying here indefinitely," I said. Axel sighed.

"I guess you are right." I sighed too.

"I wonder how Sora, Donald, and Goofy are doing? Will they be okay without me?" I Asked.

"They were able to take out a member of Organization XIII, they can handle this by themselves," assured Axel.

"Yeah..." I said.

"And on the bright side if you guys can't get out, Organization XIII can't get in. You won't have to worry about them," said Jr.

"You're right," I said.

"Not to mention the only means of getting here from another world was destroyed," said Axel. Before I could begin to think about what I was going to do now that I was stuck in this universe, I noticed in the corner of my eye that something was glowing.

"What the?" Asked Shion as she looked down at her necklace to see that it was glowing. Suddenly the Dark Horizon appeared in my hand.

"Is this...?" I began to ask. I put the Dark Horizon in front of me. A Nobody symbol appeared below my feet. I closed my eyes as the energy shot up from the symbol and spiraled around me. The light formed into that place of strange brown clouds that Sora would always cause to appear when he opened a gate. A beam of light shot out of Shion's necklace and hit the edge of the clouds and a large keyhole appeared. I jumped back and aimed the Dark Horizon at the keyhole. Light began to circle around it's tip and then a beam shot out of the Dark Horizon and into the keyhole. Then the clouds disappeared.

"What was that?" Asked Ziggy.

"It's a process known as the opening of the gate. Basically it allows you to travel to other worlds by opening that gate."

"Will that help you get back?" Asked Jr.

"I think so," I said. I looked over at Axel. "Try again." Axel raised his hand and a portal of darkness appeared.

"Alright, it worked!" Exclaimed Axel.

"So it's really goodbye," said MOMO and she looked down sadly.

"Don't worry, I'll come back. I promise," I said.

"And I will try to visit too," said Axel.

"With this gate open now, Axel and I can come and go as we want."

"Take care," said Shion with a smile.

"Farewell," said Jin.

"Bye," said Jr.

"Be careful out there," said MOMO.

"May we meet again," said chaos.

"Watch your backs out there. It sounds like you two have many battles ahead of you," said Ziggy.

"Take care of yourselves. Eating healthy, getting lots of exercise, and some sleep will all keep you in tip top shape," said KOS-MOS.

"Good luck," said Allen.

"See ya," said Axel as he walked towards the portal of Darkness. I smiled and then waved as I walked towards the portal.

"I always keep my promises," I said as the two of us walked through the portal of darkness.

* * *

Meanwhile...

Inside another ship there was an office. At the desk stood a man with short silver hair that extended down in two waves in front of his face. He had red eyes, a black suit, and a strange calm smile. In front of him stood a group of four people. The one on the far left wore a strange blue outfit and a mask that covered his face. The one next to the blue one had a similar outfit only in red. The one next to the red one had the same outfit only it was black and his face was showing. He had pale skin and creepy red eyes. The last one had a white version of the outfit.

"Master Wilhelm, we have confirmed a jump from this universe to the other by Alex and Axel," said the one in red.

"I see..." Said the man at the desk (Who is Wilhelm.)

"This is acceptable?"

"Yes, that is fine." Wilhelm looked at the strange object on his desk. It looked like some sort of compass. Inside of it was a green, glowing cube that was spinning.

"Why did you let them go? If they are required for our plans then we should keep them here in this universe and in a place where we can keep on eye on them," said the one in blue.

"I don't see why we should do that. Only one of them is important. The other is just a Nobody that was at the wrong place at the wrong time and I mean that literally," said the one in white.

"Indeed, Alex is the important one. He is the wielder of the Dark Horizon after all," said the one in black.

"And not just that, he is one of them," said Wilhelm.

"That would explain why Shion and the others were able to use Keyblades," said the one in Red.

"But I still don't understand why we shouldn't go and bring Alex back. It would be a lot easier to keep an eye on him. And what was the point of trying to capture him when he entered this universe?"Asked the one in Blue.

"We don't have to worry about anything regarding him. And that incident which you speak of was just a test," said Wilhelm. The one in red nodded.

"Right, he will come back on his own," said the one in red.

"Perhaps we should first evaluate his skills," suggested the one in white. The others looked at him. "I think it would be a good idea to at least know what he is capable of."

"An excellent suggestion. Perhaps it will put my doubts to rest about this boy," said the one in blue. Wilhelm nodded.

"I agree," said Wilhelm. He looked over at the one in black. "Voyager, you will go and observe Alex. Thanks to him, we will now have an easier time of keeping an eye on him."

"Right. He did open the gate after all," said Voyager.

"And what if Organization XIII tries to get in the way?" Asked the one in Blue.

"Respond with aggression if necessary." Wilhelm looked back over at the strange compass thing. "His first act is over. Soon his final act in our play will begin..."

* * *

(Switching back to Alex and Axel...)

* * *

We arrived on the other side of the portal to see that we were back in the World That Never Was.

"We're back," said Axel. I nodded.

"Yup, we are." I looked back as the portal closed. _"Farewell." _Axel stretched and yawned.

"Well, I've got a busy schedule to keep. It was nice hanging out with you, Alex," said Axel. He opened a portal of darkness and walked through it. I looked over to see DiZ walk towards me. He was accompanied by someone in an Organization XIII outfit.

"Have you acquired your hidden power?" Asked DiZ.

"Yes I did, Ansem the Wise," I said. DiZ looked shock, but then he composed himself.

"So you know now," he said.

"Yeah, my father was one of your apprentices." Ansem nodded and folded his arms.

"Yes, he was a good man and a good friend. It's a shame that he had to meet his end the way he did."

"I would ask you more about my Father, but there are things I must do now. Like find Sora and his friends," I said.

"That's right. You still have a job to do. Hopefully we will get the chance to meet again before the end," said Ansem as he looked down.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Ansem shook his head.

"It's nothing, forget I said anything." The man in the Organization XIII outfit held up his hand.

"Wait," he said.

"What is it?" I asked. He walked towards me.

"Keep Sora from getting in too much trouble. He has a tendency to do that." I grinned.

"I noticed. Don't worry, I'll keep him safe." The man nodded.

"Thanks." Then I opened a portal of darkness.

"Your welcome. I think I know where they are now. Their in the Land of Dragons," I said. I walked through the portal and next thing I knew it. I was standing on the rooftops of the Palace. I looked over at the courtyard to see that Sora and the others were fighting a large dragon. "Looks like they need my help."

"Hold it right there," said a voice as a portal of darkness appeared. There stood Xigbar.

"You..." I said.

"So there you are. We were wondering what happened to you when you dropped off the map. Where did you go?"

"I'm not telling!" I said as I folded my arms and stuck my tongue out.

"Tell that to Xemnas. Anyway, you aren't supposed to be running around outside of your cage. I was ordered to bring you back, and I am allowed to use force."

"I'm not going back," I said.

"Oh dear, then I have no choice," said Xigbar as he summoned two Nobodies. Each one held a gun. "Bring him down." They rushed towards me. I held out my hand.

"Time to take it out on a test run," I said as I summoned the Dark Horizon. Xigbar looked surprised for a moment.

"Well, well, what a surprise. Now Xemnas will want me to bring you back after he hears about this." I ducked as the nearby Nobody fired at me. I jumped into the air and slashed the Nobody in half. Then I blocked the shot of the other Nobody and fired it back. The Nobody was instantly destroyed. Xigbar looked amused now. "You've gotten stronger it seems. This is going to be fun," he smiled and summoned two guns in a burst of purple light. I got the Dark Horizon ready.

"Bring it on!" I said. Suddenly a blast of energy came out of nowhere and hit the ground between us. We jumped back to avoid the impact of the explosion.

"What was that?" Asked Xigbar.

"You are in the way, Nobody," said a voice behind me. I shot around to see a man in a strange black outfit. He had pale skin and red eyes. This guy redefined creepy. And this aura that I was sensing... It was similar to chaos, almost exactly the same. He is very powerful, that's all I can say about him.

"Who are you? When did you get behind me?" I asked.

"Whoa, whoa, man. Who do you think you are? Getting involved in other people's business like that," said Xigbar.

"You do not belong here, go away," said the man.

"Not belong here? As if. I've got a job to do and if you get in the way..." Xigbar held up one of his guns. "I'm just gonna have to kill you." He fired at the man. It bounced off of some sort of barrier that was surrounding the man. "What the?" The man shot towards Xigbar and grabbed him by his face. He threw him up into the air and slammed him onto the roof, leaving a large crack in the roof. He jumped back away form Xigbar. Xigbar slowly got up and stumbled back. "Damn, you'll pay for interfering," said Xigbar as he teleported away.

"So much for him," said the man.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Doesn't matter who I am. Don't you have a job to be doing?" He asked as he looked at me. I looked over at Sora and the others.

"Oh right!" I said. I looked over at the man. "Oh and thanks." I jumped to the next roof.

"Show me what you've got," said the man as he folded his arms. I waited till I was in range of the large Dragon Heartless. Then I threw the Dark Horizon towards the Dragon. It stabbed into it's head and it began to fall to the ground. Then it disappeared and I summoned the Dark Horizon back. Then I put my hood on, this was going to be fun.

"What was that?" Asked Sora.

"I don't know," said Mulan.

"Gawrsh, that attack came out of nowhere," said Goofy.

"Look!" Pointed Donald. They all looked up at the roof to see me. Then they pulled their weapons out again.

"Who is that?" Asked Shang.

"He must be a member of Organization XIII," said Donald.

"Come on down and fight, Nobody!" Shouted Sora. I ran towards the edge and jumped off. I landed on the ground.

"Sometimes, it's better to look before you leap," I said, giving advice. Sora gasped as he heard my voice.

"That voice..." He said. "Is that you Alex?" I pulled off my hood.

"Bingo, I am indeed Alex," I said. Sora, Donald, and Goofy smiled.

"Alex!" They all said. They ran towards me and we joined hands. Then we started dancing around. After a few seconds we stopped.

"It's good to see you guys again," I said.

"You were able to escape from the realm of darkness?" Asked Goofy. I nodded.

"Yup. Thanks to Raxiel," I said.

"But what took you so long to get here?" Asked Donald.

"It's a long story," I said.

"Did you see Kairi while you were there?" Asked Sora eagerly. I nodded and smiled.

"Yup. She's fine. Unfortunately I couldn't get her out of there."

"It's okay. At least you were able to make it back."

"I take it you finally found these three," said Mulan. I looked over at her.

"Yup, sure did," I said.

"Let's head back to the throne room and let the Emperor know that everything is okay," said Sora. As we walked towards the palace I looked to see that the man who had helped me out was still standing there. We walked through the palace doors.

* * *

Meanwhile, Voyager looked at the battlefield with an impressed look on his face.

"Well, well, he is indeed stronger now. The power of the Keyblade must be great to have that drastic of a change," he said. Then he teleported back to his Universe.

* * *

"Once again, you have served China well," said the Emperor. "It would please me to reward you. What is it that you wish?"

"Well, you say a guy in black came to see you. What did he say?" Asked Sora.

"That is all you request?" Asked a rather surprised Emperor.

"Yes." The Emperor cleared his throat.

"Dragons have crossed our land and left a great web of paths. These dragons wield much power, and they are the source of many gifts to both man and nature. But it would seem someone of evil intent disturbed one of our dragons, and transformed it into what you call a Heartless. It is my belief that this young man came to warn me of that danger. Then, I could alert and prepare my troops."

"Did you?"

"I was about to, but he told me the situation had changed."

"He said three 'wise guys' had arrived, and they would take care of things," added Shang.

"That's gotta be Riku," said Sora.

"But what's he doin' hanging out with Organization XIII?" Asked Goofy.

"_That man that I had talked to in the Realm of Darkness, was that Riku?" _I asked in my thoughts.

"No idea, but at least I finally know he's okay. That's good enough," said Sora.

"That's good," said Donald.

"Now then, Fa Mulan. Do you have any requests?" Asked the Emperor.

"I'd like Shang...I-I mean... well... The Captain..." Started Mulan, but she was beginning to turn a slight shade of red.

"Yes, yes, what is it?" Asked the Emperor.

"Could the Captain have a vacation, please?" Asked Mulan. Shang looked shocked at the request.

"_Hmm... could it be that she likes him?" _I asked in my thoughts.

"I hardly expected such humble requests," said the Emperor with a chuckle. "In this case, I'm afraid I must refuse. Captain Li's responsibility is to protect the Emperor. And yet, Mulan... Would you like to serve alongside him and protect me?"

"What?" Asked Mulan, who was shocked.

"Two reeds together are stronger than one. But the choice is yours."

"_I bet this guy is hoping that these two 'reeds' will result in there being a third," _I said in my thoughts.

"Thank you, Your Excellency," said Mulan. Shang put his arm around Mulan and they looked at each other with a smile. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and I grinned. After we said our goodbyes we left and headed back to our Gummi Ship. We got onboard and the Gummi Ship flew off into space.

"So, you said you went through since we last saw you. So what exactly happened?" Asked Sora.

"Well..." As the ship continued to fly I told Sora, Donald, and Goofy what had happened.

* * *

Meanwhile back in Wilhelm's Office...

"So, how did he do?" Asked Wilhelm as he looked over at Voyager.

"He did fine. He took out two Nobodies and a large Heartless. He seems to have become a lot stronger since he got that Dark Horizon," said Voyager. The man in red looked over at the man in blue.

"Does this put your doubts to rest?" He asked. The man in blue nodded.

"Yes, it does," said the man in blue.

* * *

So where will our heroes go next? What is in store for them? Find out in the next chapter. Anyway, please review. 


	16. One Night at Beast's Castle

Thank you all who reviewed! Anyway, it's time for the next chapter. But first...

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean, Kingdom Hearts, or Xenosaga.

* * *

Chapter 16: One Night at Beast's Castle...

In the World that Never Was...

Xemnas had decided to hold a meeting. With Alex's escape and something Xigbar wanted to tell the Organization, there was a lot to discuss.

"Now, I suppose you are all wondering why I called you," said Xemnas.

"Now that you mention it, I am wondering that," said Vox.

"As you all know, Alex somehow managed to escape."

"How's that possible? He doesn't know how to use the powers of Darkness," said Maria.

"That is currently under investigation," said Saïx. "It is most likely that someone helped him out."

"But who?" Asked Luxord.

"That is what we don't know."

"But why did they leave Kairi behind?" Asked Xaldin.

"I believe that the one who let Alex out probably knew that we would find out almost right away that all the prisoners had escaped. Once we knew that, this person must have figured that we would hunt them down. With Alex, who is not as much of a priority for us, it would take longer for us to notice that he was gone," said Saïx.

"Do you think it was Axel?" Asked Xigbar.

"No. We would have known it was him when he opened a portal. Whoever it was they used some sort of stealth method in order to pull this off right under our noses."

"That said let us focus on the other part of this meeting," said Xemnas. He looked over at Xigbar. "I believe you told me you have something important to tell us. Why didn't you come back with Alex after we pin pointed his location? With that weakling it shouldn't have been a problem." Xigbar cleared his throat.

"Everything was going well. I was about to fight Alex when out of nowhere, a man in a black outfit appeared. I attacked the man but the attack just bounced right off of him. Within a blink of an eye he had face planted me. Realizing the situation had changed I retreated," said Xigbar.

"A man in black? What did he look like?" Asked Maria.

"He had very pale skin and red eyes. He was bald and had a very creepy look to him. He is extremely powerful. Possibly stronger than any of us." Luxord let out a chuckle.

"What? Are you sure you aren't just saying this because this guy kicked your ass, and that you think anyone stronger than you could defeat all of us," said Luxord.

"As if. You'd probably wet your pants if you encountered that guy, gambler."

"There is no living being who can destroy Organization XIII," said Xemnas. He looked at Xigbar again. "Did it ever cross your mind to call for reinforcements? All of us together could easily take out that man."

"I would have. But I decided it would be better if we let Alex run around after I saw his new weapon."

"New weapon?" Asked Vox. Xigbar nodded.

"Yup, it turns out Aldax's little brat is a Keyblade Wielder."

"Is that so?" Asked Xemnas with an interested look on his face.

"Yes."

"It looks like Alex got a: Get-Out-Of-Jail card, if you'll pardon the Monopoly reference," said Luxord.

"Indeed, but what should we do about the mysterious man?" Asked Xaldin.

"We should keep an eye on Sora and his friends while they are traveling from world to world. If we find that man again we will take him out and put an end to his meddling," said Xemnas. "Now that Alex is going to be lending a hand in our plan, there is no need to pursue him."

* * *

Meanwhile...

* * *

"Wow, a lot DID happen," said Sora as I finished my story.

"So that weapon you used was the Dark Horizon," said Goofy. I nodded.

"Yeah, that's right. It's a powerful weapon," I said. I held out my hand and summoned the Dark Horizon.

"It's definitely a Keyblade, but..." Started Donald.

"It seems to stand out amongst all other Keyblades I have seen," said Sora.

"Of course I stand out. I'm not your average Keyblade, I'll have you know," said the Dark Horizon. Sora, Donald, and Goofy jumped back as they heard it talk.

"Wak! It talks?" Exclaimed Donald.

"Gawrsh, I've never heard of a talking Keyblade," said Goofy.

"That doesn't surprise me, there aren't that many of us," said the Dark Horizon.

"Only a few Keyblades can talk? How come?" Asked Sora.

"Well, I can't really say. Info regarding the Keyblade's creation is forbidden for me to utter."

"You certainly are unique. But why is that the case?" I asked. The Dark Horizon sighed.

"You are my wielder and yet you don't know anything about Keyblades. I find that hard to believe."

"It's the truth though. I don't really know anything about Keyblades other than what I have seen through observing Sora in combat."

"Well then I had better enlighten you. You see, there are four Keyblades that are superior to all others. I am one of those Keyblades." Donald pointed in a direction.

"Look!" He said. Ahead of us was a familiar world.

"Beast's castle, huh?" I said.

"You've been here before?" Asked Sora. I nodded.

"Yup, this is one place I went to when searching for you guys." We landed outside of the Beast's Castle. We walked through the forest and stopped as we arrived at the gate. We opened it and then walked down the bridge towards the courtyard. I chuckled as I remembered my little escapade during my first visit here.

* * *

FLASHBACK

* * *

_I got off my ship and looked around. I was in some sort of forest. It was very dark and as silent as a graveyard. Okay it wasn't all that quiet, there were the sounds of insects and nearby animals. I continued to walk through the forest when I heard the sound of a branch snap. I looked around to see an entire pack of wolves slowly advancing towards me with their teeth bared. _

"_Crap, looks like I walked into their territory," I said in my thoughts. I held up a hand. _

"_Don't mind me. I'm just passing through." They continued to snarl and growl at me and move closer. "Can't we all just get along?" The wolves responded by rushing towards me. "Screw this! I don't have time to fight a bunch of animals," I said as I began to run. Unfortunately the wolves also began to chase me. I continued to run and as I looked ahead I saw a clearing, and a large gate. Without hesitation I jumped and landed at the top of the gate. The wolves stopped and continued to glare and snarl at me. I pointed at them and laughed. "Ha! You can't get me now! Suckers!" I said. Then I lost my balance on the gate and fell face first onto the land that was on the other side of the gate, away from the wolves. _

_I looked up to see the wolves had collapsed and were making strange barking sounds. As if they were laughing at me for falling. _

"_Dammit, why does the opponent always have the last laugh?" I asked as I got up. I looked around to take in my new surroundings. "What is this place anyway?" I looked up to see a castle beyond the wall ahead of me. I walked through the large door and into the courtyard. It was very quiet, making it seem like this place was abandoned. I walked up to the front door and slowly opened it. "Hello?" I looked around. "Hello?" I repeated. There was no answer. _

"_Weird, it feels like people are still living here. Maybe they are all asleep," I said. I continued to walk and then I heard voices. _

"_At least everything is back to normal now," said one of the voices. Based on the voice, this person was a young woman. _

"_Thanks to Sora and his friends," said a deep, gruff voice. Obviously a large man, or maybe a large man with a really bad head cold accompanied by a very painful sore throat. I quickly ran over to one of the square poles and hid behind it. So Sora was here... at least I know I am on the right track. _

"_It's time to leave," I said. "Before those two find out I was here." Then I saw them coming down the large stair way. My first guess was right, there was a girl. She had long brown hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a blue dress with a white apron over it. My second guess was completely wrong. The owner of the second voice was large, but he wasn't a human. He was a large beast with brown shaggy fur and a purple cape over his back. "On second thought, that won't work. Now I will have to wait longer," I whispered to myself. Yes, I know it's weird that I am talking to myself. Spending a year alone on a little island can do that to you. _

"_But you can't leave without at least saying hello," said a voice. _

"_Wah!" I exclaimed. Then I covered my mouth. _

"_Who's there?" Asked the Beast. _

"_Shit!" I said in my thoughts. "Thanks for blowing my... wha?" I began as I looked around for the person who had snuck up on me... only to see there was no one there. Then I looked down to see a golden candle holder looking up at me. Weirdest part is: it had a face. "A talking candle holder?" I asked. _

"_Everyone is shocked when they see me and the others," said the candle holder. _

"_I can see why, it's not everyday you see a walking, talking candle holder inside of an old castle in the middle of nowhere," I said. _

"_This is an enchanted castle," said a gruff voice. I looked over to see the girl and the beast standing there. _

"_Is that so?" I asked. _

"_Who are you? It's not often that we get visitors," said the woman._

"_I'm Alex. And you are?" _

"_My name is Belle." She looked over at the beast._

"_Call me Beast," said the beast. _

"_What an original name," I said in my thoughts. "I came here because I am looking for three Individuals. They go by the names of Sora, Donald, and Goofy." _

"_You just missed them," said Beast._

"_I did?" He nodded._

"_Yes, they left not too long ago." I nodded._

"_I see, well then I better get going. I have to catch up to them as soon as possible." _

"_What? You are leaving already?" Asked Belle who seemed rather surprised. _

"_You could stay for the evening if you want to," offered the Beast. _

"_We encourage you to," said the candle holder as several other various house hold items began to walk towards us. _

"_Thanks for the offer, but it's imperative that I find Sora and the others. Can I take a rain check on that offer?" _

"_Umm... sure. A friend of Sora's is a friend of ours," said the Beast. _

"_I can't really call myself a friend of theirs since I haven't met them yet," I said in my thoughts. As I began to walk over to the door I looked back. _

"_Well, see all of you later." I said as I waved goodbye. Then I headed back to my ship.

* * *

_

END OF FLASHBACK

* * *

We walked through the front door and in the center of the hallway stood Beast in a fancy outfit. His back was turned to us and it seemed like he didn't notice that we were there.

"Hey there," said Sora. Donald began to look around.

"No Heartless, and no Nobodies," said Donald.

"I think they're close though," said Goofy.

"Better watch out," said Sora. Suddenly the Beast let out a sigh.

"What are you so mad about?" Asked Donald.

"He must have something on his mind," I said.

"Why are you here?" He asked as he turned around to look at us.

"The Nobodies' world is out there somewhere. We are looking for a way in," said Sora.

"Hmph," said the Beast as he turned around. We looked up to see Belle coming down the other set of stairs. She smiled and waved at us as she walked down. The Beast looked over at us. "Tonight is... very important," he said. Then he walked up the stairs to meet Belle. They bowed and then joined hands. They proceeded to enter the next room.

"Looks like we came at a bad time," said Goofy.

"Only one way to find out," said Donald. I looked over at Donald.

"You've got a good point," I said. Donald ran up the stairs and towards the ball room. I followed closely behind.

"What? Donald! Alex!" Exclaimed Sora. Sora and Goofy followed us. As we entered the room, we saw that everyone was there. Including the servants.

"And of course, our honored guess are welcome too," said the candle holder as he bowed.

"A welcome indeed," said a voice. Beast put his arms around Belle as he looked up. The four of us ran into the center of the room to see who it was. There stood Xaldin, with his hood on.

"The Organization!" Exclaimed Sora.

"You don't know when to quit," said Xaldin.

"Oh yeah! We'll show you!" Said Donald.

"Get out!" Shouted Beast as he ran towards Xaldin.

"Not tonight," said Belle. Xaldin snapped his fingers and several Dragon like Nobodies appeared. Beast knocked them back with a swipe of his claws.

"I've come to take something you hold very dear," said Xaldin. Beast let out a loud roar. "Yes, let your anger grow," said Xaldin as he disappeared.

"Beast, we have to get rid of these guys first!" Exclaimed Sora. We pulled out our weapons and got ready to fight. One of the Dragon Nobodies rushed towards me. I back flipped to avoid the attack. As it slashed at me again I grabbed part of the handle of it's spear and I spun around on it. Then I let go and descended down towards the Nobody and I cut it in half. I hit a nearby Dusk with a flare spell. It went flying into the air. I focused energy into the Dark Horizon and threw it. Aura surrounded the Dark Horizon as it spun in the air. It cut the Dusk's head off and then reappeared back in my hand.

"I must say, you sure aren't just some kid who got his hands on a Keyblade. Your style indicates that you have experience in fighting," said the Dark Horizon. I nodded.

"Oh yeah, I've got quite a bit of experience under my belt," I said. I looked over to see that Sora and the others had finished off the Nobodies they were fighting.

"Where's Belle?" Asked Sora. I looked over to see Belle walking towards us.

"I'm here," she said. The Castle staff followed closely behind her.

"She's okay."

"Guess Xaldin didn't take anything after all," said Goofy. Beast looked up with a shocked look and bounded off.

"What's wrong?" Belle quickly followed the Beast.

"Maybe Xaldin DID take something," I suggested.

"I think Alex is right. There must be something else that is precious to Beast," said Goofy.

"C'mon, let's follow them," said Donald. We ran through the doors and headed up the West Wing hallway and up to Beast's torn up room. We walked in just in time to catch Belle and Beast's conversation.

"Please, calm down!" Said Belle.

"Calm down?" Exclaimed Beast as he shot around to look at Belle. "You just had to have a Party didn't you? Don't you see what's happened?" He exclaimed in a tone of anger.

"Hey, what's with you?" Asked Sora as he took a step towards them.

"The rose... my rose..." Said Beast as he looked at a pedestal. It looked as if something belonged there.

"What? He took it?" Asked Sora.

"But surely you can find another rose," said Belle. The Beast shot around again.

"SILENCE! You don't know anything!" He shouted. Sora jumped between them.

"That's not fair Beast, don't take it out on Belle. It's not like she was the one who stole it," said Sora. I held up my hand and shot off a flare spell between the three of them, creating quite a bit of distance. "Hey, what was that for?" Asked Sora as he looked over at me.

"To break up this pointless shouting match," I responded. "The right thing to do in this situation is to discuss the problem in a clam manner and then decide what to do next. Shouting and yelling will get us nowhere."

"True, but did you have to use a flare spell?" Asked Sora. I thought for a second.

"Well... yes!" The Beast held a hand to his forehead.

"I'm sorry," said Belle as she looked down at the ground sadly.

"You don't have to apologize," said Sora.

"But..."

"Belle... Sora... I want you to leave the castle," said Beast. Belle was silent. "Look at me. Look. This is what I am. When you first got here, I tried to change.." Said Beast with a sad look on his face.

"But I was only fooling myself. I can't be any different. I will always be a beast. So I should live like a beast. With no one, alone. Goodbye, Belle."

"You can't mean that..." Said Belle as she held out a hand. The Beast turned his back and didn't say anything else.

"I think his mind is all made up," said Goofy. Sora nodded.

"Yeah." Belle turned and began to walk away. "Look, Belle. Leave this to us. If we can get the Beast's rose back, he'll calm down." Belle nodded and left the room. We walked out of the room and down to the West Hallway.

"Poor child," said the tea pot.

"How could it have come to this?" Asked the Clock.

"And they were so looking forward to this evening," said the Candle Holder.

"Once the rose is back, everything will be okay," said the Tea pot.

"What's so special about that one rose?" Asked Sora.

"I was kind of wondering the same thing," I said.

"If the Master can love, and be loved in return the spell will be broken. And we will become humans again," said the Clock.

"Yeah, you told us," said Donald.

"But there is a time limit," said the Candle Holder. "He must find his true love before the last petal falls from that rose."

"Ah but that is not all. Over time, caring for that rose has become a cherished part of the Master's Daily life," said the Clock.

"It's as though all his hopes and dreams are tied to that single bloom," said the Teapot.

"Poor Beast! Then we have to get it back," said Sora.

"Please do."

"We can't without the Beast, though. If it's that important to him, he's got to do it himself."

"You're right. This is his problem and he needs to take care of it, of course we will help out," I said. Donald and Goofy nodded. The four of us headed back up to Beast's Room. He was facing the Pedestal.

"Hey Beast," said Sora as we walked over to him.

"Leave me alone," he said with a sigh.

"C'mon, you need to hear this. You used to be fearless. You would have given your life to save Belle. Don't you know what that meant to us? You gave us all courage. Hmph, maybe you should have kept some for yourself. I mean, are you really gonna throw your happiness away? The rose is your only hope, isn't it? Well, it's the only hope

for Cogsworth and the others, too. So, don't throw away your last chance. Remember what it was like before Belle lived here?" Beast looked up as if he did Remember. "See, you can't give up. Not now."

"I know one thing," said the Beast.

"What?"

"This Castle belongs to me. Xaldin will never be welcome here," he said as he turned around to face us. We nodded.

"Right, let's teach him a lesson," I said. The five of us walked out of the room and headed down towards the main hall.

"So Beast, you came after all," said Xaldin. We looked up to see him standing at the stain glass window. In his arm was the rose in it's case. "You had me worried. I was afraid you had given up for good."

"What do you guys really want?" Asked Sora.

"Kingdom Hearts," said Xaldin. He took off his hood to reveal his face. "When Kingdom Hearts is ours, we can exist fully and completely. So you see Beast. That's why we need your Heartless AND your Nobody." Suddenly a group of Nobodies appeared. We fought and destroyed them. Xaldin jumped off from where he was standing and landed on the ground. He walked over to the front door and left. We followed him only to find that he had disappeared.

"Where did he go?" Asked Donald as we looked around the Courtyard.

"Look, it's the rose!" Shouted Belle from her balcony. We all looked up to see she was holding the rose. But then all of a sudden Xaldin appeared and grabbed Belle.

"Belle!" Shouted the Beast. Xaldin jumped from the Balcony and landed outside of the Courtyard.

"This guy is insane," said Donald. We followed him out to the bridge.

"You... get out of my castle NOW!" Shouted Beast.

"With pleasure. But I'd rather travel light. What shall I leave behind: Belle... or the Rose?" He asked.

"Belle!" Shouted Beast as he ran towards Xaldin. Suddenly Belle sucker-punched Xaldin in the gut and grabbed the rose. Then she ran past us.

"Good one, Belle!" Said Sora. The Beast continued to run towards Xaldin. He swiped at him but then he jumped back. He bent down his head and then shot it up with an intense glare aimed right at us. The air suddenly began to feel very thick. Xaldin held up his hands and six cyclones of wind appeared. As they disappeared there were 6 spears floating in their place. Xaldin grabbed two of them and then the other four circled around him. We charged towards Xaldin and got ready for the fight.

We tried to hit him with our attacks but they couldn't get through the barrier created by both the wind and the other four spears.

"Dammit! We can't break though that barrier! And there are no openings," I said.

"What do we do?" Asked Goofy.

"When an enemy has a strong barrier surrounding them, use attacks that bypass that barrier," said the Dark Horizon.

"But what kind of attacks can..." I stopped as I figured out what the Dark Horizon was talking about. "Oh I get it now." I summoned my Katana into my other hand. Then I focused energy into it. I rushed towards Xaldin and slashed at him. My Katana collided with one of the spears but then there was an explosion. Xaldin was caught in the blast and he was throne back. I looked over at Sora and the others. "Now!" They charged towards Xaldin while he was stunned and unleashed a fury of attacks. He recovered quick enough to avoid the majority of them.

"What exactly did you do?" Asked Sora.

"I kept a constant flow of energy into the sword. Meaning that any collision with this sword would result in an automatic flare spell," I said.

"Clever," said Xaldin. He charged towards me. "But not clever enough!" I dismissed my sword and jumped away from Xaldin's attack. He charged towards me and began to slash at me with his six spears. I tell you, fighting six weapons at once is hard. Soon all Six of Xaldin's weapons surrounded me. "Let's see you get out of this!" The spears homed in on me and I jumped, avoiding the attack.

"Your guard's down!" Shouted Sora as he slammed Xaldin in the hip with his Keyblade. I charged towards Xaldin and slashed towards him. He blocked the attack and one of his spears zoomed towards me. I grabbed the end of it and spun around in the air. I shot a kick towards Xaldin's face but then he moved his head to the left to avoid it.

"Get ready for a little ride!" Said Xaldin as he pointed up. The spear shot up and into the air and started flying around while doing some crazy maneuvers. I held onto the spear while it flew around and Sora and the others continued to fight Xaldin.

"This isn't a ride that you would find at an amusement park you know," said the Dark Horizon .

"Shut up, I know!" I said. I looked around to see how I could use this to my advantage. I saw the spear's next destination: Back to Xaldin's hand. I grinned. "I've got an idea." I spun my body up into the air and my feet landed on the top side of the spear, and I used the spear as a board.

"I am sure that Alex has already been thrown off by now," said Xaldin as he fought with Sora and the others.

"What was that, Xaldin?" I asked. He looked over just in time to get hit in the face by the Dark Horizon. I landed back on the ground. He stumbled back and then glared at me.

"You are going to pay for that," he said. He shot a blast of wind at us. All five of us were sent flying into the air in a tornado. Xaldin then flew around on a dragon like creature made out of his spears. The dragon shot off a blast of air that was slowly coming towards us.

"We are in for a world of hurt if we get hit by that!" Shouted Goofy over the deafening sound of the wind.

"Xaldin! You'll pay for this!" Shouted Beast. Just as the air blast reached us I held up my Keyblade.

"Reflect!" Shouted Donald, Sora, and I. Three spheres of light combined to make a large reflect spell. I took this time to jump through our spell as it brought the five of us to the ground and used the cyclone to my advantage to shoot right towards Xaldin.

"You fool," he said with a smirk. He slashed three of the spears into my side. I winced as they stabbed into me. As they did I held out my hand and used a flare spell as I began to fall to the ground. Xaldin was stunned by the sudden attack. In the last moment before I hit the stone floor I hit Xaldin with the Dark Horizon.

"Now! Finish him!" I said as I hit the ground. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and the Beast charged towards Xaldin and they all unleashed their attacks on him. Xaldin stumbled back and his spears began to disappear in a burst of light. He let out a shout of agony as he disappeared back into the darkness. I slowly got up.

"Are you alright?" Asked Sora. I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said.

"Why did you have to go and do that. You could have gotten yourself killed," said Donald.

"I know, but... it was the only way to bring his guard down," I said.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that. If you could access more of my power you would have been able to take him down easily," said the Dark Horizon.

"But I was wielding you to the max of your abilities," I protested.

"The max of my abilities? Don't make me laugh. You were barely using 20Percent of my power."

"What? How do I use the other part of your power?"

"You have skills in fighting, you have believe in yourself, you have nearly everything you would need to use my powers. But you are missing something, the very requirement that allows you to use 100 Percentof my power. It's the most important requirement a wielder of one of the Horizons must have. Otherwise I am just a regular Keyblade."

"What is the last requirement?" I asked. The Dark Horizon sighed.

"You don't know that? That should be a given. I have looked inside your Heart and I have found out that this one thing is completely absent. Do you know what it is now?" I shook my head.

"I have no idea. What is the last requirement?" The Dark Horizon let out a louder sigh.

"Oh forget it."

"Wait!" There was no response. I looked over at everyone else. "Any ideas?" I asked.

"Beats me," said Sora.

"Maybe the answer is something so obvious that you are overlooking it," suggested Beast.

"It could be. But I don't know what I could be overlooking." I looked over at the entrance to the courtyard and then over at Beast. "Anyway, you've got some unfinished business to take care of. Belle is in the courtyard." Beast looked down at the ground and rubbed the back of his head. Then he walked towards the entrance of the courtyard. We followed him in. Belle walked towards us and handed the rose back to Beast.

"Here. It's yours again," said Belle.

"Belle..." Started Beast. Belle looked down sadly.

"I know. You want me to leave the castle," she said.

"What matters is... you weren't hurt by Xaldin... You're safe. And... I'm very grateful to you... for bringing the rose back to me." Beast paused. "Thank you." Belle looked up and smiled.

"It's the least I could do. You've been good to me. And you didn't have to be." Beast put the rose on the ground.

"Listen, Belle..." Beast stopped cold.

"Yes?" Beast glanced at us.

"Say it!" Said Sora.

"Yeah, say it!" I exclaimed.

"C'mon," said Donald.

"You can do it," said the Teapot.

"We have confidence," said the Clock.

"Don't be bashful now," said Goofy. Beast looked over at Belle.

"Belle... I'd like you to stay... with me... please?" He said. Belle smiled. She held out her hand and then her and Beast entered a slow dance position.

"I will," said Belle.

"Maestro... music," said the Candle Holder. Belle and Beast began to dance as music came out of nowhere. Sora looked over at us.

"Hey, did you see the look on Belle's face when she grabbed that rose?" Asked Sora.

"I saw it," I said with a chuckle.

"Yep, she sure was havin' fun," said Goofy.

"She is rather unique, isn't she?" Asked the Candle Holder.

"Always ready for a little adventure," said the Teapot.

"The two of them seem to be made for each other," said the Clock.

"Yeah, they sure do!" Said Sora. I looked over at Sora.

"I guess we should go, to give the love birds some privacy," I said. Donald snickered at my love bird comment. Sora nodded.

"Good idea, let's go." We began to walk towards the exit.

"What was that about love birds?" Asked Beast. We stopped walking. I turned around nervously and looked around innocently.

"Ah... nothing, nothing. Just kidding!" I said.

"Are you guys leaving already?" Asked Belle. Sora nodded.

"Yeah, we got to go," said Sora.

"You must be tired from that battle with Xaldin. Why don't the four of you spend the night?" Asked the Beast.

"Sounds good to me," I said. "Besides, I have that rain check from last time I came here."

"That's right," said Belle.

"Does that rain check apply for us too?" Asked Goofy. Beast nodded.

"Of course. You are all friends of ours," said Beast.

"What do you think? You are the leader of the group," I said as I looked over at Sora.

"I don't see why not," he said.

"Excellent! We must hurry and prepare dinner," said the Candle Holder.

"Yes, we must let the chef know. He will be very pleased," said the Clock. We all walked in to the Castle. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Beast, Belle, and I were all in the Parlor Room talking. The Clock, Cogsworth, came in to let us know that dinner was served. We were guided to the dining room. There was a long table with many plates of food. To the left of the table was a grand fire place with a bon fire inside of it. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and I starred in amazement at the food.

"Wow..." We said.

"Enjoy the meal," said the Candle Holder, Lumiere. We began to eat dinner.

"This is really good. My compliments to the chef," I said.

"Yeah, I haven't had a meal this good in the longest time!" Said Sora.

"Tasty," said Donald as he stuffed his mouth.

"Gawrsh, this reminds me of the feasts we would have back home," said Goofy. Belle smiled and looked over at Beast.

"They do seem to be enjoying the food," said Belle.

"Yes, the food is good as always," said Beast.

"I'll be sure to tell the chef your compliments," said Cogsworth. Sora looked over at me.

"Hey, what's wrong with you? You are here physically but your eyes are so distant," said Sora. I looked up.

"Yeah, I've got something on my mind." I said.

"What's the problem?" Asked Donald.

"It's what the Dark Horizon said. It lingers in my mind: The Last Requirement. What could it be? What do I lack that makes me incomplete?"

"The Dark Horizon?" Asked Belle.

"The name of my Keyblade. It's not an ordinary keyblade. It seems to have a consciousness," I said.

"It's a mysterious Keyblade, that's for sure," said Sora.

"Like I said before, the Last Requirement may be something very simple," said Beast.

"You might be right," I said.

"So you said that you were trying to find the entrance to the World of the Nobodies, right?" Asked the Beast.

"Yeah, that's right," said Sora.

"Have you found anything?" Asked Belle.

"Not yet, but we are still looking."

"Hey, Alex. You were taken to the Realm of Darkness. Do you know how to get there?" Asked Donald.

"Yes I do... but... it wouldn't be a good idea to use the front door. They would notice us and they would attack us in an instant. We should try and find a back door first."

"So you are saying there is another way in?" Asked Goofy.

"Yes. I believe there is one somewhere. But I have no idea as to where it would be."

"Then we will just have to keep on searching for it," said Sora. After dinner we talked a little more and then headed off to bed. There were plenty of guest bed rooms in this castle. My guess is that the majority of them were for the servants back when they were humans long ago. I woke up later that night. I just couldn't sleep for some reason. I opened a portal of Darkness and used it to go up to the rooftop. I sat down and looked up at the night sky.

It was very clear. You could see many stars in the night sky, almost as if you were seeing Space itself. How long had it been since I had seen a sky like this? No... the better question would be: How long has it been since I had seen a night sky at all. Usually the four of us would sleep in the Gummi Ship and our meals consisted of very basic staples like Saltine Crackers and water. Not to mention sleeping in a Gummi Ship is not comfortable at all. You ears get filled with the sound of the engine and the seats are rather uncomfortable.

So for any of you out there who want to be a Keyblade Wielder who travels from world to world fighting Heartless, you might want to think twice about that. With meals that make prison food look gourmet, very little sleep, and the possibility of getting killed in battle, it's not as great as it looks. The only good part is getting to see all the worlds and how unique each one is from the last one you visited.

"The Last Requirement, huh?" I let out a sigh. "I can't believe this. When I got the Dark Horizon I thought all my problems would be solved. But now it feels like they have just begun. What am I supposed to do?"

"_Can't sleep?" _Asked a familiar voice. I looked to my right to see Nephilim sitting next to me. I nodded.

"Yeah..."

"_Now that you have obtained the Dark Horizon, you are on your own. I have told you everything I can. Now it's up to you. Will you come out of this battle alive? Will you figure out what the Last Requirement is? Will you return to your Home World in the end? Or will you star a new life style? The outcome is ultimately up to the decisions you make." _

"I know. Thank you for your help. You've really helped me out," I said.

"_You are welcome," _Said Nephilim with a smile. Then she looked down. _"There is something I wanted to ask you, Alex." _

"Then ask," I said.

"_I am not demanding this of you, but do you think you could do something for me?" _I nodded.

"Sure. You helped me out, it's the least I can do." Nephilim looked up at me.

"_You answer without hesitation, even though I haven't said what I need you to do." _Said Nephilim, who seemed rather shocked.

"Of course, helping others is the right thing to do."

"_Soon, their Universe will be facing the brink of Armageddon. If the ripple they created is to have any effect, they may need your help." _

"Who's Universe?" I asked.

"_Those you just met. Shion..." _

"Shion and the others? You mean that Universe?" I asked.

"_Yes." _

"And you want me to help them out, right?" Nephilim nodded.

"_Should the time come that you are needed, I will summon you. It is for the sake of their Universe, as well as this one." _

"For the sake of this Universe too? What does that mean?" Nephilim began to disappear. "Wait!" It was too late, she had already left. I stayed up on the roof a little while longer and then I went to bed.

The next morning we had breakfast and then headed over to the front door.

"Well we had better get going," said Sora.

"Yeah, we have lots of places to go to," said Donald.

"We have to find another way into the Realm of Darkness," I said.

"We thank you for your hospitality," said Goofy.

"Pay us a visit again sometime," said Cogsworth.

"You are welcome here anytime," said the Beast.

"Take care," said Belle. We walked through the front door and headed towards our Gummi Ship. We arrived got onboard and headed off towards the next world.

* * *

So what awaits our heroes next? Find out in the next chapter. Anyway, on Sunday I will be leaving to say good bye to my Sister, whom is going to college. It's kind of sad realizing that I won't see her much anymore. But that means I get to use her room for storage. I will be away for a week, I might post up another chapter before I leave. But when I come back I will have a chapter or two to upload. Well that's all for now, please review! 


	17. Tournament Madness

Thank you all who reviewed! Here it is, the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean or Kingdom Hearts.

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Chapter 17: Tournament Madness

After a while our ship arrived at the next world, Olympus Coliseum. Rather, instead of being in the Coliseum ruins we were in the Underworld. It was dark and gloomy as ever. In front of the exit was Hercules and Meg.

"Hey," said Hercules weakly. We walked over to them.

"Herc! You feeling any better?" Asked Sora.

"Well... same routine. Wonderboy here thinks his hero days are over. And Phil thinks it's all in his head," said Meg.

"Gawrsh, Herc. We know you're a hero!" Said Goofy.

"That's right... Blunderboy. How can you mope on a momentous day like today?" Asked a voice. There was a burst of smoke and fire and a strange looking guy with blue skin, a stick shaped head, yellow eyes, a pointy nose and... blue fire for hair. He wore a gray and black robe. He looked over at Hercules. "The Underdrome's back, and you are gonna fill the stands. After all, your fans won't settle for anything less than a certified hero." Hercules clenched his fist and glared at the person, but then he looked down. I looked over at the strange building in the distance.

"So I take it that's the Underdrome," I said. I looked over at the blue man. "So who exactly are you anyway?" He looked over at me. Appeared in front of me in a burst of smoke.

"What, you never heard of me? I'm Hades, Lord of the Dead. And you are?" He asked.

"Um... Alex," I said.

"Ah, judging by your appearance you are a friend of the keyboy's."

"Yeah, that's right." Hades disappeared and reappeared next to hercules.

"At any rate, if you are not up to it you could always just... I dunno... LOSE?" Asked Hades as he put an arm around Hercules.

"I'd bet you'd like that!" Said Sora.

"Excuse me? Hey, I'm not a selfish guy. I'm not like those high and mighty snobs up on Olympus. I stand for the masses! And have I got a massive idea!" Hades cleared his throat. "The games, ladies and gentlemem...are back! Yours truly, Hades---the one and only Lord of the Dead---brings you the ultimate games, to celebrate the re-opening of the ultimate coliseum! We'll finally answer the age-old question: Who deserves the title "Ultimate Hero"? These games are gonna settle the debate once and for all! The winner reigns supreme. Of what? You guessed it! The Hades Cup! And I assure you that the "Great" Hercules will be there. Otherwise..." He looked over at Meg. Hercules put his arms around her. "You'll never see, your girlfriend again."

"Lowlife!" Shouted Sora as Hades disappeared in a pop of smoke.

"You're too kind, kid," said Hades. After Hades disappeared, a small fat, pink demon walked over to us.

"I am handling registration for the Hades Cup. Sign up if you enjoy pain," said the demon.

"A tournament, huh? Sounds like fun! What do you guys say?" I asked.

"It's not like we have a choice you know. Hades is forcing us to participate," said Donald.

"Well in any case, I would have participated anyway."

"Yeah, it could be fun," said Sora. Donald folded his arms and started tapping his foot. "Err... but we should be careful. You never know what Hades could be planning."

We signed up and walked over to the tier board. We were in the first match.

"Who do we face first?" Asked Hercules.

"Let's see... Spin Strike," said Goofy.

"Look, Auron is in the Tournament, too!" Said Donald.

"Uh-oh, we might have to fight him in the finals!" Said Goofy. I folded my arms and looked down at the ground.

"_Auron... that name sounds familiar. I think I have heard that name from somewhere..." _I said in my thoughts.

"I bet he's a real hero, huh?" Said Hercules.

"Well, I don't think he's a bad guy... but you're the only hero around here, Hercules, you know that." Said Sora.

"Maybe before... but now I am just a..."

"Stop that!" Exclaimed Sora. We were taken to the Underdrome by boat. The Underdrome on the outside looked like a creepy architecture made of black rock and covered in skulls and bones. The interior, however, was all made of black rock and it lacked the creepy decorations. Inside of the Arena, waiting for us, was a group of Heartless. We all got ready to fight. We charged towards the enemy. I cut one Heartless in half and back flipped away to avoid being hit by a nearby one. One of them was flying around in the air by using it's legs for propellers. I grinned. I rushed towards it, grabbed the little curly thing at the top of it's head, and held on as it started spinning around the arena. I summoned the Dark Horizon as I got near the group of Heartless. I slashed through several Heartless as I flew by. Then I stabbed the Heartless I was holding and I landed on the ground. As I landed I looked over to see Sora finishing off the last two. We were sent back to the Underworld's entrance after the battle ended.

"How did it go out there champ?" Asked Sora.

"I'm just not what I used to be," said Hercules. "Sorry to drag you down, guys."

"Don't throw the towel in yet, Herc! We need you in the semifinals!"

"Speaking of which, who are we facing next?" I asked.

"Let's see... it us... against..." Said Goofy.

"Wak! Bad Alert?" Exclaimed Donald.

"Are they any good?" Asked Hercules.

"It sounds like they're... 'bad'... but we can't chicken out now," said Sora. We went over to the Underdrome and fought against the next set of Heartless. We defeated them easily, just like the last group. Like last time, we were sent back to the Underworld Entrance.

"We made it to the finals!" Exclaimed Sora.

"If we win, we will all be heroes!" Said Donald.

"Being labeled a Hero for kicking ass and taking names... sweet," I said with a grin.

"Oh, that's why you're so happy," said Goofy.

"We can't stay Junior Heroes forever, you know," said Sora.

"Junior? Heroes?" I asked.

"It's... a long story."

"I'll try not to mess things up," said Hercules.

"Enough already," protested Donald. I walked over to Hercules.

"Yeah, seriously Herc. Stop doubting yourself." Hercules didn't say anything. He looked up and pointed in the direction of the door to the Underworld. "Look, over there." There stood a man in a red robe. His back was turned so I couldn't see his face. "He's our final opponent, right?"

"Auron!" Said Sora. Then it finally hit me, this must be the Auron that Yuna and the others had told me about. But what is he doing here? He looked over at us.

"And you are?" He asked.

"Huh?" Asked Sora.

"Auron?" Asked Donald. Auron turned his focus on Hercules.

"I must defeat you and atone for my crimes," he said. With that, he walked off into the Underworld.

"What was that all about?" Asked Sora.

"What crimes? If this is the Auron that I heard of, he hasn't done anything TOO bad," I said.

"Let's follow him," said Donald. Sora nodded.

"Good idea, let's go," said Sora. We walked through the door that lead deeper into the Underworld. On the side of the room was Hades and Auron. We quickly hid behind the wall and hoped that they didn't see us.

"Okay, let's review. State your crime, prisoner," said Hades.

"I exist. That is my crime. It is... inexcusable," said Auron.

"Ooh, good, very good."

"What's with Auron? He's never acted that way before." Whispered Sora.

"Gawrsh, I don't know," whispered Goofy.

"Shh," said Donald as he held up his finger to quiet the two of them.

"Okay, so you made one lousy mistake: you exist. But hey, I'm a forgiving guy. You keep the end of our little deal, and I'm willing to overlook a transgression or two," said Hades.

"I understand. Defeat Hercules," said Auron.

"And his meddling friends."

"What? No, only Hercules," said Auron with a slight tone of shock in his voice. Hades placed a hand on Auron's shoulder.

"Oh, don't tell me you've forgotten who's in charge?" Asked Hades. He pressed down on Auron and red energy began to surround Auron. It seemed like he was in pain. In Hades other hand was a little statue of Auron. "Hercules... AND the other thr... err four. I almost forgot about that other guy. Are we clear?"

"We're clear, Hades," grunted Auron.

"LORD Hades," corrected Hades.

"Lord Hades." Hades removed his hand and put away the statue.

"Good. Now go." Auron walked off towards us and Hades disappeared.

"So that's how he's controlling Auron," said Sora.

"What a Jerk!" Said Donald.

"He'd probably think that was a compliment," said Goofy.

"I can't stand seeing Auron do that lowlife's bidding... we've gotta help him," said Sora.

"Right, before he tries to kill us in the next match," I said. Auron walked past us and out to the Underworld Entrance.

"C'mon, let's go after him," said Sora. We quickly followed Auron only to see him sailing off to the Underdrome in the boat.

"What's wrong Sora?" Asked Hercules as he walked over to us.

"Auron's in Trouble! It's like Hades brainwashed him!" Said Sora.

"He's using some kind of statue," said Goofy.

"You know something? That sounds kinda familiar... Hades may be using the statue to hold Auron's free will hostage," said Hercules.

"Somehow it doesn't surprise me that he would try to pull something like this," I said.

"What do we do?" Asked Donald.

"See if you can find that statue. It's gotta be somewhere in the Underworld," said Hercules.

"Right, I'm on it," said Sora.

"Tell me you're not thinking of leaving. You've got a match coming up!" Said Hades. We all looked behind us to see Hades standing next to Sora.

"When did you get there?" I asked.

"Well you know, details, who needs them?"

"I'll fight Auron. One on one," said Hercules. Hades looked over at him.

"Oh you will?" Hades turned around and began mumbling to himself... looks like I'm not the only one who has that problem.

"I'll draw things out to buy you time," whispered Hercules to Sora.

"But..." Protested Sora.

"Just hurry back! I know you can do it!"

"Congratulations! You've got a deal," said Hades.

"Thanks..."

"On one Condition!" Said Hades as he put up his right index finger. "The Keyblader, here, and his trusty friends, have to meet the winner in one final clash, whaddya say?"

"That'll drive the crowd wild."

"It'd better. I promised the crowd the event of their afterlives." The boat had just come back as Hades finished his sentence. He got onboard along with Hercules and they were taken to the Underdrome. Sora looked at the three of us.

"Come on guys. We'd better hurry," he said.

"Right, every second counts," said Donald. We ran into the Underworld.

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Meanwhile in the Underdrome...

Hercules and Auron began their fight. Hades sat back in his chair while he enjoyed his so called "Entertainment". He stretched and took a sip of his wine.

"Now this is entertainment. I should have recorded this," said Hades. He looked over at another chair that was next to his. Sitting in it was a man in an Organization XIII outfit. His hood was covering his face. Why he would wear the hood all the time, Hades didn't really know... nor did he care. "Well, are enjoying the show?" The man looked over at him.

"Yes, this is entertaining," he said.

"How long has it been since you last visited? Several years, right?" He nodded.

"Yes, my new job doesn't give me much time for vacation. Plus with Organization XIII running around, getting around isn't all that easy."

"Well things haven't changed a bit here. Still dark, gloomy, and full of dead people."

"So who do you think will win this match?" Hades looked back at the match.

"The Prisoner, of course. Do you even need to ask?" The man chuckled.

"No, I suppose I don't."

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Switching back to Sora and Co...

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This was the first time I had gone down this deep into the Underworld and one fact was made obvious: This place is really creepy. We walked through various caverns and finally we arrived in a room with a large stone table. On the edge of it was the Auron Statue.

"Got it," said Sora as he reached for it. He grabbed the statue and suddenly he started twitching and was covered in red energy.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I poked Sora. Suddenly I felt a surge of energy passing through me, causing me to twitch like Sora. Goofy poked me and he ended up in the same condition.

"Huh?" Asked Donald as he poked Goofy. He ended up the same. "What's going on?" Exclaimed Donald. Suddenly we heard Auron's voice echoing in the room.

"It is not too late! Let us turn back!"

"Yes, but... I cannot accept it."

"Where is the sense in all of this?"

"But... there must be another way!"

"Your Deaths will mean nothing!"

"You must live!"

"I get it, this is what belongs in Auron's heart." Said Sora as we went back to normal. What we heard... was that something that had happened during the time that Auron was a Guardian?

"Gawrsh, he musta had a pretty rough life," said Goofy.

"Yeah... but in the end, that's really what made him stronger," said Sora.

"Let's give it back!" Said Donald. Suddenly a bunch of Nobodies appeared.

"Nobodies? Where did they come from?" Exclaimed Sora.

"You've got to be kidding me," I said as I summoned the Dark Horizon.

"Geez, these things are persistent. What reason do they have to be here anyway?" Asked the Dark Horizon.

"Beats me." We began fighting the Nobodies. I slashed through one of them and jumped to the side as another one tried to slash at me. I countered by destroying it with a flare spell. We kept on fighting but the Nobodies kept on coming.

"Hey, go away!" Said Donald. The Nobodies began to advance on us when suddenly a bunch of Heartless jumped out of nowhere and attacked them.

"Not what I had in mind... but I'll take it," said Sora.

"We'd better Skedaddle," said Goofy.

"Agreed. Let's get out of here," I said as I dismissed the Dark Horizon. We ran out of the room and headed back to the entrance of the Underworld. We walked over to the small Pink Demon.

"Have you come to see Hercules lose?" He asked.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Take us over there," said Sora. We were taken to the Underdrome just in time to see Auron a matter of steps away from victory. Hercules had been driven to one of the edges and he was struggling to hold Auron's sword back with his two hands.

"Now! Finish him!" Said Hades.

"Auron! No!" Said Sora.

"This belongs to you, Auron!" Shouted Donald. Sora threw the statue at Auron. It shattered and Auron was covered in red light. He looked up and brought up his sword away from Hercules. He looked over at us.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy," He said. Then he looked over at me. "And No-Name." I twitched at the lack of a name.

"Auron!" We said in unison.

"Why, those little..." Grunted Hades.

"Looks like fate dealt a strange hand in this game," said another voice.

"Prisoner! What happened to our mutual agreement? I can give you a clean slate, but you gotta work with me!" Said Hades.

"Maybe, you didn't hear me. This is my story, and you're not part of it," said Auron. Hades disappeared in a big pillar of fire and reappeared on the platform we were on.

"That's it! This game is over! I played by the rules so far. Okay, I confess! I was hoping Blunder boy would lose, but it was still a fair fight. C'mon, is that really so wrong? Huh?" Asked Hades.

"Really? A fair fight?" Asked Sora. We started laughing.

"That fight was about as fair as using loaded dice," I said.

"Laugh, laugh, laugh all you want!" Said Hades. Hades laughed sarcastically. "Because the laughing... is about to stop. Wanna know why? Because now we're gonna play by my rules." Hades snapped his fingers and part of the wall behind us opened up. There was some sort of cavern behind it... and it looked like it was some sort of abyss. Suddenly there was a scream and Meg appeared in a dark cloud next to Hades.

"Meg!" Shouted Hercules.

"Hercules!" Shouted Meg.

"Hey, I warned you at the get-go. You don't compete... you lose the girl," said Hades. Meg began to float over to the chasm. Hades snapped his fingers and Meg fell into the abyss.

"No!" Shouted Hercules as he ran into the newly opened room and jumped into the abyss.

"Looks like wonderboy has dropped out of the standings," said Hades as the gate closed.

"Well you've still got us to deal with," said Sora. We tried to fight Hades but none of our attacks did anything. He began to laugh. "We can't win!"

"How come?" Asked Donald.

"Because it's his Underworld," said Auron.

"Then how do we beat hm?" Asked Goofy. Suddenly the gate opened again... but there was no one there.

"I think a true hero, should be able to help!" Said a mighty voice. We all looked over to see Hercules with Meg in his arms.

"But... you..." Said Hades as he took a step back.

"I owe you one Hades. I didn't hesitate to give my life for Meg's and then I remembered..." Suddenly a white horse with wings flew down. "A true hero is measured by the strength of his heart!" He put Meg down. "I won't be forgetting that anytime soon."

"Just no more crazy stunts," said Sora.

"People always do crazy things when they're in love," said Hercules. We all started laughing. The white horse took Meg up to a safer location.

"What is so funny, you imbeciles! How dare you get a happy ending! How DARE you!" Shouted Hades as he exploded in a burst of fire. His skin changed to red and his hair was now regular fire. We pulled out our weapons and got ready to fight.

"We can win now," I said.

"Confident, aren't you, No-Name?" Said Auron.

"Hey! I have a name you know," I said. Auron smirked.

"Whatever, No-Name." We were all about to attack Hades when all of a sudden an orange energy blade appeared and blocked me from going further. I looked over to see a man in an Organization XIII outfit standing in front of us. I recognized his weapon instantly. It was a Laser weapon from my world.

"Organization XIII!" Exclaimed Goofy.

"What do you want?" Asked Sora.

"I can handle them myself, you know," said Hades. The man looked over at him.

"I know. But I have some business with that one," said the man as he pointed at me.

"With me?" I asked.

"Yes, you. I challenge you to a fight," he said as he held his Laser Weapon in a defense position. I looked over at Sora.

"You guys take care of Hades. I'm going to take this guy out," I said. Sora nodded.

"Alright, we can take care of this." I looked over at the man.

"You asked for it!" I said. I ran towards the man and slashed at him. He blocked the attack and counterattacked. I blocked it and then jumped back. I rushed towards him and began to bring the Dark Horizon down towards his head. He raised his weapon up to block it but then I quickly brought the Dark Horizon down to the ground and used it as a pole to shoot my body towards him. I double kicked him and he stumbled back. I swept across the ground, aiming for the man. He back flipped into the audience area of the arena, avoiding my attack. He held out his hand and a bunch of strange glass objects began flying towards me. I slashed several of them in half, jumped onto one of them, then another, cut the next one in half, and then brought the Dark Horizon down upon his head. He blocked the attack and with my free hand I hit him on the side of his hood where his face is. He stumbled back as I hit him. Then I hit him several times with the Dark Horizon.

"This is the end!" I shouted. I stabbed him in the gut with the Dark Horizon. He crumbled to the ground and disappeared into darkness. "Remember; you asked for it." I said.

"Oh please, did you really think that would finish him off?" Shouted Hades as he took a break from his fight with Sora and the others.

"Alex, look out!" Shouted Hercules. I looked over in the other corner to see a storm of sharp, purple crystals homing in towards me. I jumped in the air just in time to avoid the attack. Sora and the others continued fighting Hades. I looked over to see the man I had just finished off, standing on the opposite side of the arena. He was clapping.

"Well done Alex, well done," He said.

"Impossible! I just defeated you!" I said.

"It will take more than that, to finish me off. What you just defeated was an artificial Nobody that I created. It's one of my special abilities." I didn't say anything. "Well, you have my thanks, Alex."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked. Suddenly a little Spider-like machine crawled up the man's shoulder. It looked like a combination of a camera, a spider, and a robot.

"The data I collected from this battle will be immensely helpful in our project. It won't be long now before it is completed," said the man. Hades paused and looked over at the man.

"That THING is almost done?" He asked, almost as if he was slightly afraid.

"Yes, everything is falling into place." The man looked over at me. "Well, I have to get going. Once again, I thank you for your help, Alex. Oh and do try to figure out what the last requirement is to use the full power of the Dark Horizon." said the man. A portal of darkness appeared and he walked through it.

"What was that about?" I asked. I sat down in one of the seats as I became lost in thought. How did that man know about the last requirement?

"Enough of this! I have a battle to finish!" Said Hades. He charged towards Sora and the others and they continued fighting. After awhile, Hades was finally defeated. Sora attempted to attack him again but Hades teleported into the room he opened. He stumbled back and fell down into the chasm. I headed down to where everyone was.

"That takes care of that," said Sora.

"Yeah, now let's get out of here," I said. We took the boat back to the Underworld Entrance. Sora, Donald, Goofy and I were talking with Auron not to long after that.

"What'cha gonna do now?" Asked Donald.

"I lived my life defending others. But now... there's no one left to protect. Maybe... it's time I shaped my own story," said Auron.

"Yeah... you deserve it, Auron. After everything you have been through," said Sora. Auron chuckled.

"I suppose I should thank you."

"Not at all," said Sora as he held his head out high in pride.

"Fine," said Auron as he began to walk away. We all slumped in unison.

"_That's not quite what I was expecting..." _I said in my thoughts. We all got up.

"I mean...sure, you could thank us a little," said Sora. Auron stopped walking and looked back over at us.

"You should say what you mean. I guess I could spare a few words," said Auron. He took a deep breath. "Thanks... for meddling." Sora, Donald, and Goofy slumped again while I chuckled.

"We've gotten good at that," I said.

"Hey, what's that mean?" Asked Sora, directing that at both Auron and I. Auron walked off with a smirk. I looked over at the Underworld's Exit.

"We should probably say goodbye to Herc and the others," I said. We headed up the stairs and to the Coliseum. It was still a ruined wreck, just like the last time I was here. Then again, it hadn't been that long since I first came here. Maybe a week or so. It was dark out and above us was a clear sky with many stars and a full moon. Anyway, we walked over to Meg and Hercules.

"Thanks again, guys! You're the best," said Hercules.

"Excuse us for meddling..." Grumbled Donald.

"Aw... sounds like somebody's feathers are a little ruffled," said Meg. She smirked. "I'm kidding. Thank you, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Alex," she said.

"So where you guys headed next?" Asked Hercules.

"Aw, you know... You two lovebirds seem to be getting along just fine without us hanging around," said Sora. Hercules and Meg looked at each other. They quickly separated and were blushing. Not to mention they kept on looking back at each other.

"Yeah, we gotta go," said Donald.

"Uh-huh. Before we start meddlin'. A-hyuck!" Said Goofy.

"Right," said Sora.

"Are you Turkeys trying to put me out of a job?" Asked Phil as he walked over towards us. "If you keep on acing every challenge, Champ, who am I gonna train?"

"Aw, you can't abandon me now, Phil! I gotta be at the top of my game in case Hades shows up again," said Hercules as he flexed his muscles.

"Hey, are we true Heroes yet?" Asked Donald.

"Yeah! C'mon, Phil, how 'bout it?" Asked Sora.

"Are we? Are we?" I asked. Phil began to stroke his goatee.

"Lemme see now... Well, you're not wise enough..." Said Phil. Donald and Sora glared at Phil in disappointment. "Not quite... seasoned enough..." I sighed.

"Okay, Okay, we get the hint," said Sora, as if he didn't want to hear what else we lacked.

"Look, kid, it's not my call!"

"Aw, phooey," said Donald.

"Course if it was, you'd have no problem. I'd make you all heroes, in a heartbeat." The three of us looked at each other and grinned.

"Really?" Asked Sora.

"Say it again!" Exclaimed Donald.

"Sweet!" I said.

"On second thought, if those are your true "Hero" faces, you still got a lotta work to do," said Phil. Then he pointed at me. "And you just made it to Junior Hero, you got a LOT of work to do." Phil turned around and began to walk away.

"Aw man," I said as I slumped over in disappointment.

"Hey, what do you mean?" Asked Donald as he followed Phil.

"Go away!" Said Phil. Phil began to run and Donald pursued him.

"Phil!" Protested Sora as he began to chase Phil too.

"Leave me alone!"

"Um, Alex," said Goofy. I looked over at him.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Look at that." Goofy pointed up at the stars. It looked as if stars were being created and being shaped into some sort of constellation.

"See that?" Asked Meg as she looked over at Hercules.

"Well whaddaya know..." Said Hercules. The shape finally took form. I instantly recognized them. The Gods had created a constellation of Sora, Donald, Goofy, and I in the night sky, nearby a constellation that looked a lot like Hercules. Sora, Donald, and Goofy noticed it as well. We began celebrating our sudden promotion to Heroes. I looked over at Phil to see him crying due to being really happy. Not too long after that we got back onto our Gummi Ship and headed off for the next world.

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So what awaits our Heroes in their next destination? Find out in the next chapter. Just for a little notice, Fayt and Co. will be appearing in the next chapter. It will be a brief appearance but it is time to progress a little further in their side of the story. Anyway, please review.


	18. Return of the Curse

Thank you all who reviewed! Here is the next chapter. But first...

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean or Kingdom Hearts

Chapter 18: Return of the Curse

After searching the first and second floor of the mansion, Fayt and Co found the staircase that lead to the basement. They walked into the next room to see a computer and various devices.

"What's all this?" Asked Cliff.

"Some sort of lab maybe?" Suggested Sophia.

"Maybe," said Fayt. He walked over to the computer. "I've never seen a terminal like this before. It sure is low-tech though."

"Yeah, about a few centuries old," said Cliff.

"So what now?" Asked Adray.

"We could try and access any info that might be on this computer," said Dr. Leingod.

"And if that doesn't work there is a door over there," said Nel.

"Then why don't we break up into two groups? One group will stay here and the other group will check what's behind that door," suggested Mrs. Leingod.

"I don't see a down side," said Albel.

"Alright then. Nel, Albel, and I will go through the door. You guys can work on finding anything out from that device," said Adray. The group split up and they began carrying out their assigned tasks. Sophia looked over at the wall on the left to see a bunch of screens.

"Fayt, look at that," she said. Fayt looked away from the computer to see what Sophia was showing him. "It looks like those screens are showing some sort of data about somebody."

"Your right. Hmm... Blood type, Body structure, brain waves... it seems as if all of this data is about one person," said Fayt. Cliff walked over to the screens to take a closer look at them.

"It appears that the name of this person is Sora," said Cliff.

"Sora... didn't Maria mention that name?" Asked Dr. Leingod.

"Now that you mention it... I think she did," said Sophia.

"It was someone who apparently knows Alex," said Fayt.

"Any luck yet?" Asked Mrs. Leingod.

"I need a little more time," said Fayt.

Meanwhile...

As our ship took us to the next world, my mind was focused on events from the previous world. Who was that man that I had fought? I don't think he is with the Organization. But he is a Nobody, that's for sure. Based on his voice, he was also using the same device that Raxiel was using. But it definitely wasn't Raxiel. He uses a Keyblade while that man used a laser weapon.

"Here we are," said Sora.

"Port Royal, huh?" I said.

"I wonder how Jack and the others are doin'," said Goofy. Our ship landed in Port Royal. We were on the rampart of the fort. We looked over at the port to hear strange sounds. "That's coming from the port."

"Let's check it out," said Sora.

"Every time we come here, it's always a problem down at the port," said Donald as we headed down there. When we got there we saw Jack Sparrow fighting several other pirates... that were cursed.

"Jack!" He looked over.

"Zola! Some assistance!" Said Jack.

"That's SORA, Donald, Goofy, and Alex!" Said Sora.

"Will ye leave a mate to perish?" Asked Jack who seemed rather impatient.

"Aye Aye," sighed Sora as we jumped into this battle (not literally). The pirates we fought against were about as strong as the ones we fought the last time we were here. With my new power and having gained experience from all the fighting I have had to do in the past week or so, I found it easier to take out the pirate I was fighting. We defeated them without any difficulty. "Those pirates were cursed. I'd thought we'd seen the last of the curse of the Aztec gold... What gives?"

"Some scallywag must've got greedy," said Jack as he sheathed his sword. He looked back over at us to see Sora looking at him suspiciously. "You don't trust me, do you?" We nodded.

"Basically," I said.

"Likely a wise choice, I AM a pirate, mates."

"Jack! Sora!" Shouted Elizabeth as she ran over to us.

"Elizabeth!" Said Sora, seeming surprised to see her. Jack began to walk away.

"Wait, Jack! I need your help. The cursed pirates have returned. Will had to find out why, so he went to Isle de Muerta... to check on the Aztec Treasure. I fear something's happened. You have to take me to him." Said Elizabeth.

"Aye, there it is. If you'll be wanting him rescued, best do it alone, lass," said Jack.

"Alone? Really, Jack? Sail to the island and take on the cursed pirates?"

"Well if any lass could..."

"Are you sure he's in trouble?" Asked Sora.

"No. Not certain. But he's been gone too long. I wanted to go with him, but he insisted I stay here. I can't just sit and wait! I've got to know if he's alright," said Elizabeth.

"Lucky man..." Said Jack.

"_She must really like Will to be THAT worried about him." _I said in my thoughts.

"Please Jack, take me to him!" Said Elizabeth.

"Hold a moment. I see no profit in it for me," said Jack.

"I shall reward you. Of course... you do owe Will. He has saved your life before." Jack thought for a moment. Then he looked up as he made up his mind.

"Right. Shall we?"

"_Reward shall always be the #1 motivator," _I said in my thoughts. That is quite true though. People will do many things, sometimes anything, if a reward is involved. We got onboard the Black Pearl and sailed off towards Isla de Muerta. I tell you it takes a lot of effort for just a few people to get a ship moving. We were all tired out after getting the Black Pearl moving. Stupid obsolete transportation...

"Interceptor off the starboard bow!" Shouted Goofy at one point. Donald ran over to where Goofy was standing to see the ship.

"There they are," said Donald.

"It's Will," said Elizabeth. On the Interceptor was Will and a crew of other people who were most likely sailors. The two ships were soon side by side and the crew of the Interceptor began to board the Black Pearl. "Will!" Exclaimed Elizabeth as she rushed over to Will and hugged him.

"Elizabeth? What are you doing out here?" He asked.

"We came to find you. You had been gone for quite some time. I was worried."

"Elizabeth..."

"So did someone get greedy?" Asked Jack.

"I don't have good news..." Said Will.

"Yes, the situation is pretty bad," said a voice. We looked over to see Raxiel walking over towards us.

"Raxiel!" I said.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here," said Sora.

"I get that a lot," said Raxiel.

"Who is this chap?" Asked Jack.

"This is Raxiel, he's um... uh..." Said Donald.

"He's a friend of ours," I said.

"He is?"

"Yes I am," said Raxiel. "Anyway, we should talk in the cabin. It's a good place to hold a meeting."

"Alright, let's go," said Sora. We walked into the cabin and sat down at the table.

"So what did you find?" Asked Elizabeth.

"The medallions and the stone chest---someone's taken them... Next thing I knew, we were attacked...but I couldn't see who it was---his face was shrouded...in a black hood," said Will.

"The Organization," said Sora.

"We found a way out of the cave... but the villain sent a horde of terrible creatures after us. I've never seen their likes before. I thought we were done for... but then that man... Raxiel came out of nowhere."

"It's what I do best," said Raxiel.

"We owe you one. Had you not come in and defeated those creatures... I don't think we would gotten back to the ship alive."

"Thank you... Raxiel," said Elizabeth.

"Don't mention it. I like to help people..." Said Raxiel.

"So the Organization is causing problems here too..." I said.

"Our turn, guys," said Sora.

"You'd best go prepared. We've no idea what's out there," said Elizabeth.

"Pardon me, Lads and Lass, but your captain will have no monsters today. Thank ye. We're turning for home," said Jack. Jack got up and began to walk off.

"Just like that?" Exclaimed Elizabeth.

"Just like that."

"Captain," said a man as he walked through the door. I looked over at Raxiel.

"It's not going to be that simple. If Organization XIII is really behind this it most likely won't be the last time we see their mugs here," I said. Raxiel nodded.

"You're right, Alex. We should be prepared," said Raxiel.

"Pardon me, Lads and Lass," said Jack. We all looked over. "Mr. Gibbs here tells me we have an intruder on the deck."

"Looks like your prediction came true," said Sora as he looked over at me.

"Let's get 'em," said Donald. We rushed out to see the Aztec Treasure chest sitting there on the deck. There stood a man in an Organization XIII outfit. His hood covered his face.

"We'll handle this," said Sora. The man held up his hand.

"The Darkness of men's hearts. Drawn to these cursed medallions; and this Heartless..." Started the man. A large creepy looking Heartless appeared. It was carrying a double bladed scythe. "A veritable maelstrom of avarice." The man paused for a moment. "I wonder... are they worthy to serve Organization XIII?"

"And you want an answer now?" Asked Jack.

"Precisely!" After hearing his voice a little bit I recognized who it was.

"Luxord," I said.

"You remember me, I am honored." He jumped high into the air and landed on the mast. The Heartless charged towards us. I looked over at Raxiel.

"Sorry to get you involved in our affairs," I said. He shrugged.

"It's no big deal, don't worry about it," he said. He summoned a Keyblade and I summoned the Dark Horizon. Sora, Donald, and Goofy got their weapons ready too. We charge towards the oncoming Heartless. It swiped at us with it's massive scythe. We all managed to dodge it and unleashed our attacks on it. It went flying into the water.

"Oh boy!" Said Donald.

"Gawrsh, that was too easy," said Goofy.

"Not over yet," said Sora. We looked over to see that Luxord was now standing next to the chest again. He removed his hood to reveal his face.

"Throw him over board," said Jack.

"Aye Aye!" Said Sora.

"Parley," said Luxord as he raised his hand.

"'Scuse me?" Asked Jack.

"Barley?" Asked Goofy.

"It's a bit of a pirates' code. Anyone who invokes "parley" must not be harmed 'til negotiations are complete," explained Jack.

"Pirates have a code?" Asked Raxiel.

"This is no time for rules!" Protested Sora.

"True. But as we're honorable Pirates we should always stick to the code," said Jack. He looked over at Luxord. "All right, you. Out with it!"

"I surrender the chest with my humblest apologies," said Luxord.

"Very accommodating of you, mate. And for that you want...?" Luxord put his hand on the medallions.

"Just a few souvenirs... for the memories," said Luxord. He clenched the fist that was on the medallions.

"Huh?" He threw four of them into the air. Four Nobodies popped up and grabbed them.

"Oh, no! We can't stop the curse unless we got all the medallions!" Exclaimed Goofy.

"Our friend's about to learn what it means to cross a pirate," said Jack.

"Oh?" Asked Luxord. The Heartless we had just defeated rose out of the water. But now it looked like a zombie. It held it's scythe back as if getting ready to attack. Raxiel jumped into the air all of a sudden. The Heartless swung it's scythe, creating a blast of wind that swept all of us off our feet... and I mean that literally. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Jack were thrown onto the Interceptor. I unfortunately was not caught in the full force of the air current. As I result I just fell of the ship and towards the water. Suddenly I felt a hand grab my right hand, stopping me from falling. "Fire!" Shouted Luxord. The cannons suddenly began firing at the Interceptor.

"No!" I shouted. The ship had been reduced to ruins and was slowly drifting away. Luxord started laughing. The person holding my hand pulled me up and onto the deck. It was Raxiel who had saved me. "I owe you another one," I said.

"Don't worry about it. I like to help people. Besides, it's the only way I can redeem myself," he said.

"What's that mean?" I asked. Raxiel shook his head.

"It's nothing don't worry about it." What could Raxiel mean? He told me it was nothing but I still couldn't take my mind off what he said. Redeem himself? What could he have done?

"So you managed to escape being bombarded like those fools were," said Luxord with a grin.

"Damn you," I said through clenched teeth as I glared at Luxord.

"Those who defy Organization XIII and go against it will be crushed," said Luxord as he disappeared into a portal of Darkness, taking the chest and the Heartless with him.

"Are you two okay?" Asked Will as he and Elizabeth walked out of the cabin.

"Yeah," said Raxiel.

"Where is everyone?" Asked Elizabeth.

"The remains of the Interceptor drifted off to the south east," I said. "If they are still alive they will be in that direction." _"Well I hope they are still alive. Kairi would kill me if she found out that Sora had been killed." _

"Southeast... I think the ship graveyard is in that direction," said Will.

"The ship... graveyard?"

"It is said there is a place where wreckage of destroyed ships washes up. That place is called the ship graveyard. We must go there."

"Alright, let's get this ship moving," said Raxiel. We brought up the anchor and sailed off in the direction of the ship graveyard.

"Raxiel," I said. He looked over at me.

"Yes? What is it?"

"Could I see your Keyblade again?" I asked.

"Sure." He summoned his Keyblade once again. I summoned the Dark Horizon.

"Your Keyblade looks a lot like mine. Only it's teeth are green and the colors are lighter," I said.

"That's because the Keyblade he is holding is the Twilight Horizon. One of the four Horizons," said the Dark Horizon.

"What? Then that means..." I started

"Yes. Raxiel is the chosen wielder of the Twilight Horizon."

"How long has it been since the two of us were together?" Asked the Twilight Horizon.

"Many years... many years..." Responded the Dark Horizon.

"So there are four of you right? What are the other ones called?" I asked.

"The Sunset Horizon and the Sunrise Horizon are the last two."

"Who are their wielders?"

"That's a good question... I have forgotten." I sighed.

"Some help you are."

"I know who their original chosen wielders are but that really won't help," said the Twilight Horizon.

"Maybe their owners haven't awakened yet," suggested the Dark Horizon.

After awhile we arrived. We looked out among the rocks to see Sora and Co walking around.

"Ahoy Mateys!" Shouted Elizabeth. We brought the ship in closer and got them back onboard.

"We were wondering what happened to you, Alex," said Sora.

"Raxiel helped me out. I'm glad to see that all of you are okay," I said.

"Not quite okay," said Jack as he walked into the moon light. He changed into the cursed skeleton form.

"Jack, what happened? This is horrible!" Said Elizabeth.

"Ah, but who's to blame for it, eh?" Asked Jack.

"Well, it certainly isn't Elizabeth!" Said Will.

"It's Organization XIII. They're the one's behind it all," said Sora.

"Wonder where they went," said Goofy.

"The hooded man took the pirates and the creatures with him into some strange hole. We saw them leave from inside the captain's stateroom," said Will.

"Didn't occur to you to fight them, mate?" Asked Jack.

"I'm not fool. I knew I was no match for them."

"That I believe."

"Sora, I think we'll need your help."

"Got it," said Sora.

"First, let's find all the medallions. Otherwise, the curse can't be broken and the creatures will remain invincible." We sailed out to Isla de Muerta. There we began looking for the Nobodies. It didn't take us long to find them. It wasn't a very good strategy to have the majority of them waltzing around in one location.

"That's four Medallions! We got 'em all!" Said Sora.

"But where's the chest?" Asked Jack.

"If we find the hooded man, we'll find it," said Will.

"Prob'ly in port Royal," said Sora.

"Why's that?" Asked Elizabeth.

"Organization XIII is after people's hearts. So they're gonna go where there's lots of people."

"They'll hurt the townsfolk?" Asked Will.

"No, they're brinin' 'em flowers, mate. I don't know who these Organizers are, but I will say they're makin' we pirates look like proper gents," said Jack with a tone of annoyance.

"Well Organization XIII is pretty low. They don't care if their goals will cost the lives of people," said Raxiel.

"Oh yeah," I said. Jack walked up the stairs towards the helm.

"Well, Jack... then... we have to help!" Said Will.

"Then let go and haul to run free!" Said Jack. The ship sailed off towards Port Royal. It didn't take long to get there. As we arrived we quickly got off the boat and ran off the dock and onto land. There was the stone chest... and the zombified Heartless, waiting for us.

"Go! He's for me." Said Jack. He ran off to the right and the Heartless followed him. The rest of us approached the stone chest.

"Now to break that curse," said Sora. He dropped the four medallions back into the chest. The Heartless went back into it's original form.

"That takes care of that," said Raxiel.

"The curse, it's gone!" Exclaimed Donald. Jack looked at himself to see he was still in skeleton form.

"Then what's this?" He asked.

"Aw I understand, Jack must've been cursed by that Heartless. Not from takin' the gold," said Goofy.

"Oh, I've no worries then."

"It's okay, Jack. We'll just have to defeat that Heartless, that's all," said Sora. The Heartless swung it's scythe again. We dodged it and then it hit the stone chest, knocking Medallions out of it. The Heartless went back into it's cursed form.

"Oh hell, and after all that work," I said.

"We'll just have to get the goods back into the chest, savvy?" Said Jack.

"As we know, physical attacks won't work on this thing while it's cursed," said Donald.

"Which means we have to use magic," said Sora.

"So by hitting it with magic we will get medallions back," said Goofy.

"Sounds like a plan," I said. We charged towards the Heartless. It got hit by various magic spells. Resulting in it being stunned. When it was stunned a bunch of medallions began to shoot out of it like stray bullets. Believe it or not, one of these palm sized medallions hurt when they are flung at you at high speeds I picked up the three that were at my feet and placed them in the chest. Fortunately the Heartless hadn't knocked all the Medallions out. Just a few hundred. After a long tedious process we managed to get the last of them in our hands.

"This should do it," said Raxiel as he placed in the last one. The curse was gone and the Heartless was vulnerable once again. We rushed in and unleashed a bunch of attacks on it. The Heartless was quickly defeated. It fell to the ground and didn't get up. Jack went back to normal as well.

"All better," said Sora.

"Ah, not quite, mate," said Jack as he pointed at the Heartless. It's body began to fade away and the Heart it held was freed. Luxord appeared, grabbed the Heart, and then began to disappear again.

"Sora, bravo," he said as he disappeared.

"Just who was that chap?" Asked Jack

"He's part of an Organization that's collecting hearts. First they release Heartless into different worlds. We defeat those Heartless. Then they get the hearts. We're never gonna stop 'em like this," said Sora.

"What's the plan, then?"

"We gotta find their stronghold and finish them off once and for all."

"We are looking for a way into their stronghold. Going through their front door would be suicide," I said.

"Sailin' these waters, I've heard some tales, but not a one like this," said Jack.

"Is there any way we can help?" Asked Will. We began to think. Was there anything they could do to help?

"Anything at all?" Asked Elizabeth.

"There is," said Jack. He looked over at the stone chest and then back at us. It didn't take long for us to figure out what Jack was talking about. We covered the chest with it's lid and tied it up with rope. We sailed out to sea in a smaller boat and dropped the stone chest into Davy Jone's locker. After we got back on the Black Pearl...

"It's certain we don't need the likes of that hooded fellow and the Heartless about. They'll ruin the market for us true pirates," said Jack.

"So that's why you went to Port Royal," said Elizabeth. "And we thought you actually wanted to save everyone."

"A pirate always looks to profit, Miss Swann."

"Too bad. You had us going there, thinking you'd turned over a new leaf," said Sora.

"The question is, what's beyond the leaf? Savvy?" I looked around.

"Say, where did Raxiel go? He was here a minute ago," I said.

"That's Raxiel for ya," said Donald.

"One moment he's there, the next he's not," said Goofy.

"True, true," I said.

"Oh... oh, yes... a reward. And what'll it be?" Asked Elizabeth as she remembered her promise.

"That lovely blade of Sora's," said Jack.

"Huh?" Asked Sora, seeming rather surprised. He paused for a moment. "Okay, sure." Sora held out the Keyblade towards Jack.

"Hold on! That was far too easy. What's the rub?" Asked Jack. Jack hesitated at first, then he took the Keyblade. He held it for a second or two and then it disappeared out of his hands. "There, you see?" He asked as he pointed at Sora.

"Well you've always got the Pearl," said Sora.

"That I do. But someday, I'll gather a bloodthirsty crew, and come to take that blade. Chance by then, I'll have the way to wield it." Jack looked over at Will and Elizabeth. "And if I succeed, I'll ask you two to join me. That'll be reward enough."

"Done," said Elizabeth without hesitation. Will looked at her as if she was crazy.

"Maybe someday, Jack'll be able to use the Keyblade after all," said Goofy.

"Why's that?" Asked Donald.

"A-hyuck! He and Sora are kinda like don't ya think?"

"Are not!" Exclaimed Jack and Sora at the same time AND they made the same hand and body motions at the EXACT same time. They looked at each other and we started laughing.

"_Jack using a Keyblade... now THAT is a scary thought," _I said in my thoughts. We got off the Black Pearl when we arrived back at Port Royal. Then Jack turned the ship and sailed off into the distance.

"Some say Jack Sparrow's the worst pirate ever to sail the Spanish Main," said Will.

"No one could really mean that," said Elizabeth.

"Right. We know he's the best," said Will.

"I hope we'll get to see him again," said Sora.

"Yeah," I said.

Meanwhile...

After taking care of business in Port Royal, Raxiel proceeded to his next destination. He teleported to the top level of the Sphere Company. Blair and the others were talking with the Ethereal Queen. They stopped talking when they noticed Raxiel's presence.

"Who are you?" Asked Blair.

"Raxiel, at your service," said Raxiel with a bow.

"What business do you have here, stranger?" Asked Berial.

"I swear, ever since last year's incident all sort's of freaks have been showing up," said Belzeber.

"I recovered this from the enemy," said Raxiel as he pulled out the Angel Orb. The Ethereal Queen gasped as she saw it.

"The Angel Orb? How did you get it?" She asked.

"I stole it from Organization XIII's stronghold. When I busted Alex out of his prison cell there," said Raxiel as he handed the Angel Orb back to it's rightful owner.

"Alex? He was captured?" Asked Azazer who seemed rather shocked. "It's hard to believe that he could have been captured by anyone."

"How do you know Alex? Who are you anyway?" Asked Blair. Raxiel sighed.

"I think you have the right to know. Very well, you shall see who I really am," said Raxiel. He began to remove his mask. To show who he was. Everyone starred in shock as they looked upon his face.

"You're..." Started Blair.

"That's not possible..." said Belzeber in bewilderment.

So what does Raxiel look like? What's our heroes next destination? Find out in the next chapter... well actually... don't count on seeing Raxiel's face in this chapter. It will be awhile before the truth is revealed. Anyway, please review.


	19. Jafar

Thank you all who reviewed! Time for... ah you know the drill by now.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean or Kingdom Hearts.

Chapter 19: Jafar

We arrived at Agrabah a little while after we left Port Royal. I didn't think I would end up coming back to all of these worlds. I never could have predicted any of the recent events were going to happen. We transported into the Peddler's Shop... only to see it looked very much different. Instead of being all run down and filthy it was gold and shining... with treasure and vases all over the place. Where did that midget get all of this?

"Wak!" Exclaimed Donald as he accidently bumped a vase.

"You break it, you buy it!" Exclaimed the Peddler as he looked over at Donald. He looked back over at Sora. "Oh! Hello there, friends."

"Wow! You made out like a bandit!" Said Sora as he looked around at the Peddler's shop.

"Please... I am but an honest merchant. What you see is merely the reward for my hard work."

"Gawrsh, they sure are nice," said Goofy.

"_Not to mention they probably cost an arm and BOTH legs," _I said in my thoughts.

"And they're on sale! Interested?" Asked the Peddler.

"No thanks," said Sora.

"I'll come back if I ever need a vase... not sure why I would need one though..." I said.

"Well they make a great decoration! Or maybe a gift," said the Peddler.

"Listen, have you seen a guy in a black cloak. Someone from Organization XIII?" Asked Sora.

"Who me? Most certainly not."

"Okay. We'll keep asking around, then," said Sora as we began to turn around and head towards the exit. Suddenly Aladdin burst into the store along with Iago and Abu.

"Sora! Don't let him get away!" Exclaimed Aladdin. We all looked over to see the Peddler had suddenly disappeared.

"What's going on?" Asked Sora.

"Can't believe it... That stupid peddler let Jafar out of the lamp!" Said Aladdin as he put his hand to his head and sighed.

"Jafar?" Exclaimed Donald, Goofy, and Sora.

"Ja who?" I asked.

"You guys better be careful," said Aladdin.

"Huh?" Asked Donald.

"I'm sure Jafar want's to take over Agrabah again, but I know he's out for revenge too."

"I guess he's still store about the whole lamp thing, huh," said Sora.

"Iago was there when Jafar was released." Aladdin looked over at Iago. "Okay, Iago. Spill it," he said.

"Hey! I told you everything I know!" Exclaimed Iago.

"This is your one and only chance, Iago. If I find out later that you've been lying or hiding things from us, we're through. I'll never speak to you again!" Said Aladdin.

"I can't take it! I know where Jafar is!"

"Where?" Asked Goofy.

"Uh, er, I mean, that is, I, um... Ack! I really shouldn't!"

"Iago!" Exclaimed Aladdin. Iago sighed.

"He's in the desert ruins..."

"Let's get the jump on him. Lead the way," said Sora. Iago led us out of the city and towards the oasis area where you could go either go to the Cave of Wonders or the ruins that are further off to the Southeast. But in that direction was a large sandstorm. So large we could see it from here.

"What a disaster! We are just gonna have to turn back!" Exclaimed Iago.

"There's gotta be a way," said Aladdin.

"Aw, c'mon, kid, that's an easy one!" Exclaimed Genie as he suddenly appeared and flew around above our heads. "Al, ol' buddy, ol' pal!" He appeared right next to Aladdin. "This is what having a Genie for a friend is all about! I mean, how can you leave me on the sidelines in a time like this?" Genie disappeared and reappeared in the sky... only a bit bigger this time. "Live large! WOW'em, Al!" Exclaimed Genie as his eyes popped out like they do in those weird cartoons where you can get hit on the head with an anvil, safe, piano, 3 ton weight, etc, and still be alive. Genie went back to his original size. "Give them the ol' razzmatazz! What do you say, kid?"

"Hey Genie," said Sora.

"Sora!" Exclaimed Genie. He disappeared and reappeared above our heads.

"Wanna see a little something I call "Sandstorm Sweep"?" Asked Genie.

"Uh, huh," said Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

"Yeah, Genie, show us!" I said.

"Take it away, Genie," said Aladdin.

"Alakaza..." Just as Genie was about to remove the Sandstorm he paused and looked back over at Aladdin. "You know? One lousy Sandstorm is just too easy." Genie simply snapped his finger and the Sandstorm in the distance disappeared. "How about giving me a challenge next time, eh Al?" Asked Genie as he disappeared. With the Sandstorm gone we proceeded towards the ruins.

"So who is this Jafar guy?" I asked.

"Jafar is this bad guy who was trying to take over Agrabah. He used Heartless and was working with Maleficent. He became a genie and we sealed him inside his lamp," said Sora.

"I see... and now that he is free he is going to try and take control of everything again. Once a villain... always a villain." I looked over at Iago. "But why would he go to the ruins? Is there some sort of powerful weapon sealed there that he wants or is he trying to use the ruins as a temporary base?"

"The latter of that," said Iago. I could sense that Iago was hiding something, but I decided it would be best to check out the ruins before we plan our next move. So I kept silent. We arrived at the ruins to see they were covered in sand and inside a large chasm. It would be very hard to navigate this area, one false step and you're a goner.

"Now what do we do?" Asked Aladdin. Suddenly the flying carpet come down.

"Nice timing!" Said Sora. We all got onto the carpet and began looking around at the ruins, searching for a place Jafar could be hiding at.

"Look!" Exclaimed Donald. We all looked in the direction he pointed in to see a strange glass shaped object that was floating in the air. I looked like a person of some sort.

"That's Jafar! Let's get him!" Said Aladdin. He began to fly off away from us. We pursued him. I looked behind us to see Heartless close behind.

"We've got company!" I shouted.

"Who is following us us?" Asked Sora.

"Heartless!"

"Gawrsh there isn't enough room on this carpet for all of us to fight them. We would fall," said Goofy. I summoned the Dark Horizon.

"Then I will hold them off. Sora! Keep on pursuing Jafar!" I said.

"Got it!" Said Sora. I quickly flipped down to the underside of the carpet and held on to one of the tassels. With my free hand I slashed at any Heartless that got too close.

"If your hand slips you're screwed!" Said the Dark Horizon.

"Tell me something I don't know!" I said as I slashed off a Heartless' head. Once I had defeated all the pursuing Heartless I flipped back up onto the Carpet.

"I must say, you are the most reckless wielder I have ever met," said the Dark Horizon.

"It was the only way I could get a good amount of space to attack the Heartless!"

"Your predecessors were both stronger than you, and were nowhere near as reckless."

"My predecessors?"

"Yes, people who wielded me long before you ever existed. My last wielder lived about a few thousand years ago. 6,000 years maybe."

"6,000? You haven't had another wielder for that many years?"

"Your weapon can talk?" Asked Aladdin as he looked over at me. I nodded.

"Yeah, I was kinda shocked when I first found out," I said.

"Jafar entered that tower!" Said Sora. We all looked to see a large tower.

"Then let's follow him!" Said Donald. We flew into the entrance and got off the carpet. We looked over to see a set of stairs that lead off in a direction. Everything else was blocked off by piles of rock. We rushed up the stairs and into the next room with our weapons ready.

"The game's up Jafar!" Shouted Sora. We looked around to see that no one was there.

"You sure this is it?" Asked Aladdin.

"Iago?" Asked Donald. Iago flew down onto a stone.

"Ya gotta understand. It wasn't my idea! It was Jafar. He made me bring you here. You don't know him like I do! He can be VERY convincing! He said if I didn't cooperate, he was gonna..." Started Iago.

"Where is he?" Asked Aladdin.

"C'mon Al, you've gotta forgive me!" Pleaded Iago.

"Where's Jafar?" Shouted Aladdin.

"Well um, let's see... he's probably attacking the palace. I had no choice! His eyes, they got all creepy and WEIRD!"

"I don't believe this," I said.

"Whatever. Iago, you're supposed to be our friend. But you've been playing both sides, just to make sure you save yourself," said Sora.

"I knew you were still a bad guy!" Said Donald.

"I'm sorry!" Exclaimed Iago as he began to fly. Suddenly he crashed into a vase, it fell to the ground and the ruins started to shake. Man... why does this always happen? The carpet came over to where we were.

"Let's go!" Said Aladdin. We flew out of the ruins and back to the palace as fast as the carpet could take us. Afterwards, the carpet crumbled to the ground. "Get some rest, Carpet. You've earned it," said Aladdin.

"C'mon! Let's go get Jafar!" Said Iago.

"And who asked you?" Asked Sora.

"The palace is through here... hurry!" Exclaimed Aladdin. We rushed towards the palace. Near it's entrance we found the Peddler standing there.

"Hey, you!" Said Sora. He looked over at us.

"I guess you know everything now, huh?" He asked.

"You can't keep shady stuff secret for long."

"So true. I had just snuck into the Palace to, er, borrow some treasure when I heard this...voice. It said: "Release me, and I will give you an even greater reward." "Who are you?" I asked. The voice spoke again. "The true Sultan of Agrabah," he said. "Imprisoned by villains." Oh! Why did I believe such a tall, tall tale? Perhaps I was under Jafar's spell. Yes! That must be it!" Explained the Peddler.

"And I'm sure the treasure had nothing to do with it, right?" Asked Sora sarcastically.

"Maybe a bit... but Jafar never gave me a thing."

"So where did you get all of your treasure?"

"Why, the person in the black cloak."

"Organization XIII? I KNEW it!" Exclaimed Sora.

"The treasure was a gift, so I would tell no one about Jafar's return. They said they would destroy Jafar after turning him into a..."Heartless." So there was no need to upset Agrabah."

"Did you happen to get their name?" I asked.

"No, but the voice led me to believe that it was a woman."

"_A woman... it must be Maria. She's the only female member of Organization XIII that I know of... aside from her mother but she is dead," _I said in my thoughts.

"And you bought that?" Asked Sora.

"I'm a merchant. And a good one, at that. I'll buy anything if the price is right. It would have been a successful transaction if I hadn't been seen..." Said the Peddler as he looked over at Iago.

"Oh, you're so kind," said Iago sarcastically. We ran into the courtyard of the palace. At the front door was a large man dressed in black and red. He had a staff with a cobra head and a long creepy face. Jasmine was chained to the front door.

"Right about now...your precious Aladdin is whispering your name, with his last breath." We overheard Jafar say. He turned around to look at us.

"What was that you were saying, Jafar?" Asked Aladdin. Jafar looked shocked. Then he glared and looked at Iago.

"You dare defy me! You useless bird!" Exclaimed Jafar. Jafar held his staff with the eyes aiming at Iago. The eyes began to glow. Goofy shielded himself for the attack. Suddenly Jafar changed direction and shot a blast of energy bolts at Aladdin.

"Al!" Exclaimed Iago as he flew in the way of the attack and was hit by it instead. He fell to the ground and didn't get back up.

"Iago!" Exclaimed Goofy.

"You'll all be joining him... VERY soon!" Exclaimed Jafar. He started pulsing with bolts of red energy and there was a bright light. He turned into a large red evil version of Genie. He slowly rose up into the air. Then he took one of the palace towers and threw it at us. We all jumped out of the way as it crumbled into pieces. The carpet came out of nowhere and let Sora get on it. It took Sora up to where Jafar was. After awhile Jafar suddenly exploded with a burst of energy and Sora was brought back down.

"That takes care of that," said Sora.

"You went mano a mano with Jafar, and you didn't invite me, Al?" Asked Genie as he suddenly appeared again.

"Sorry, Genie. Things happened kinda fast," said Aladdin. Genie turned around and looked at a wall.

"And I had some new moves to show off, too..." Said Genie.

"But, Genie, we still need your help," said Donald.

"Who's gonna fix Agrabah?" Asked Sora. I looked around to see the city had quite a bit of damage.

"Yeah, this place was really torn up after that battle," I said. Genie turned around with an excited look on his face.

"Oh, yeah! One super-duper spruced-up Agrabah comin' right up! You won't even recognize the place when I'm through with it!" Exclaimed Genie.

"_That's a scary thought. I'd rather not know what would become of this place," _I said in my thoughts.

"Just like it was, please," said Aladdin.

"Really? Same old same old?" Asked Genie. Sora and Aladdin nodded.

"All right," said Genie. He began to swing his arms. "OOOOOOH YEAH!" He shouted. There was a bright flash of light and Agrabah was back to the way it had been prior to the events that took place here this afternoon.

"Et voila! Next time let me put in a few swimming pools, 'kay?" Exclaimed Genie as he disappeared.

"I guess Agrabah's all right now," said Sora.

"Yeah! Thanks, guys," said Aladdin. Sora looked over at Iago.

"Hey, you behave yourself, got it?" He asked.

"I most definitely got it! No more lookin' out for number one. I'm reformed! I wanna be a good friend, like Genie, but I can't do anything to help you. What kind of a friend is that?" Asked Iago.

"Oh, no. It's not like that, Iago. Friends don't have to "do" stuff. As long as you have fun hanging out together, that's all that matters."

"So... what do you guys do for fun?" Asked Aladdin.

"We do this!" Said Donald as he and Goofy made funny faces.

"Well all we have been doing lately is going to other worlds and fighting. Not sure I would say that is something I would do for fun," said Sora.

"Well we have board games and card games that we play while we're heading to the next world," said Goofy.

"While we eat crackers and water," said Donald.

"I swear, once this journey is over I am never touching crackers ever again," I said.

"Well, anyway..." Said Sora.

"Ow, my beak," said Iago.

"Gawrsh Iago. I hope you didn't hurt yourself," said Goofy.

"Well... at least I can still... fly," said Iago. Goofy walked beneath Iago to catch him if he fell... but he wasn't looking in the direction he was going in.

"Look out!" Exclaimed Donald. Iago glided down to the ground and Goofy crashed into the Market stand, causing it to collapse and fall on him.

"Ooh! Was that my cue? Am I on?" Asked Genie. "C'mon, Al, lemme build a freeway or something!" Exclaimed Genie.

"Everything's fine, Genie. Don't panic!" Said Aladdin. We looked up to see Genie zinging across the sky, leaving a trail of pink energy behind him.

"Genie!" Exclaimed Aladdin.

"But I can't hold it any longer!" Exclaimed Genie. He started spinning around and sparkles of light began to fall to the ground like snow.

"Oh, that's good! Sora! Donald! Goofy! Alex! You guys are too much! If you're ever in the mood for some more cosmic razzle dazzle, gimmie a shout, okay?" Asked Genie.

"You got it!" Said Donald

"We will be sure to let you know!" I said.

"Well, you've done it again, Sora. Don't forget about us, okay?" Asked Aladdin.

"I won't," said Sora.

"And Sora... about that friend of yours, the one you're looking for..." Sora looked up. "You'll find him, trust me."

Meanwhile...

Maria stood on one of the rooftops of Agrabah, watching Sora and Co leave. She was expecting that she would have to fight Jafar. But then Sora and his friends came and took care of him for her. She didn't mind, it was less work for her. But it means she failed the mission she was given... which was to obtain Jafar's Heartless.

"_Alex, it seems like you are beginning to change. Eventually you will be the person you once were. The one who fought by our side. A time will come... when you will have to prove your strength. I look forward to that day." _Said Maria in her thoughts. Then she disappeared into a portal of Darkness.

So what awaits our heroes next? Find out in the next chapter. Please review!


	20. Present Thief

Thank you all who reviewed! Next chapter, coming right up!

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean or Kingdom Hearts.

Chapter 20: Present Thief

We arrived at the next world. As I expected, it was Halloween Town. We were now dressed in our Halloween Town attire. This time we had landed in the forest with the Entrance to Christmas town. There we noticed something that was rather strange.

"Huh?" Asked Donald. There were Presents on the ground, all wrapped and ready for Christmas. We saw Jack Skellington in his Christmas outfit, picking up the presents. We began to walk towards him. He stopped what he was doing and looked over at us.

"Perfect timing, gentlemen! Lend me a hand, won't you? These presents must belong to Sandy Claws. So I thought I'd better return them," said Jack. Sora folded his arms and looked at Jack suspiciously.

"You just happened to find them?" Asked Sora.

"Of course Sora," said Jack as he poked Sora's forehead. "I'm finished with Christmas fantasies. You know that."

"But... you thought you'd hold on to the suit." Jack looked at the outfit he was wearing.

"What, this? It's just a costume. And Sally worked so very hard making it! Come on, we've got work to do!"

"I wonder why these presents would just be laying around on the ground," I said as I picked up a few of them.

"That's what I was wondering too. Maybe Sandy Claws knows something," said Jack. We followed Jack into the portal that lead to Christmas Town. We walked down the snowy hill and into Christmas Town. We walked into Santa's house with the presents.

"Oh!" He said as he saw us walk in. We placed the presents on the table. "Wherever did you find these?"

"In Halloween Town. You'll be needing them for Christmas, right, Sandy?" Asked Jack.

"Of course. But these are just a few of the Christmas Presents that were stolen."

"Stolen?" Exclaimed Sora. A present thief? I had never even heard of someone who just stole presents. I guess there are all kinds of thieves, robbers, and bandits. We all looked at Jack suspiciously.

"Oh, Sandy... you don't think it was ME?" Asked Jack.

"Still wearing the outfit, I see," said Santa as he looked at Jack's attire.

"I just thought I'd dress for the occasion. But if you don't believe me, then we'll just have to find out who really did it!"

"Very well, I'll leave it to you."

"All right, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Alex! We're off!" Said Jack as he began to walk towards the exit. The four of us sighed.

"How do we get caught up in these situations?" Whispered Donald.

"I am beginning to wonder the same thing," whispered Sora. Suddenly there was the sound of a crash.

"That came from upstairs," said Goofy.

"I think the culprit just exposed themself," I said. We ran up the stairs and into the toy factory's wrapping area. Inside that room was Lock, Shock, and Barrel.

"No!" Said Shock. One of them threw a toy off in another direction. Barrel pulled up a Teddy Bear.

"This looks good," said Barrel.

"No!"

"Boring!" Exclaimed Lock. Barrel chucked the Teddy Bear. They continued doing whatever they were doing.

"Hey!" Exclaimed Donald. The three of them looked up at us and stopped whatever they were doing.

"So YOU three took them!" Said Sora.

"Took what?" Asked Shock.

"You stole the presents, didn't you?" Asked Jack.

"It wasn't us!" Said Lock.

"But..." Started Barrel.

"It really sounds like fun!" Said Shock as she removed her mask and then put it back on. They began to run. We got ready to stop them from leaving. I rushed forward and grabbed a nearby box. I slammed it down on Lock and shut the lid.

"Lemme out of here!" Exclaimed Lock.

"If you didn't try to run this wouldn't have happened," I said.

"Too easy," said Sora as he held a box with one of the kids in it.

"That takes care of that," said Goofy. We opened the boxes and put the three mischief makers in the corner where they couldn't run away.

"Where'd you put the presents?" Asked Sora.

"We told you! We don't have 'em," said Shock.

"Then why are you in here?" Asked Donald.

"We are looking for parts for the Experiment," said Lock.

"Experiment?" Asked Jack.

"Dr. Finkelstein's making us a friend."

"One we get to boss around," said Barrel.

"It's true the doctor's been hard at work making SOMETHING lately..." Said Jack.

"Besides, Christmas presents are boring. Not scary or gross... So what good are they?" Asked Lock.

"Yeah," said Barrel.

"There's nothing fun here. Let's go back to Halloween Town." With that, the three of them got back up and left. We went back downstairs to talk to Santa Claus.

"So, were those pranksters responsible for taking the gifts?" Asked Santa.

"It doesn't look like it," said Jack.

"Then that means..." Started Santa.

"_I don't think Jack would steal presents. And we don't have any leads, we don't even have a basic description of what the thief looks like," _I said in my thoughts. Suddenly the door opened and Sally came running in.

"Sally!" Said Jack, seeming surprised.

"Oh, thank goodness! You're all here," she said.

"Is something wrong?" Asked Sora.

"The Heartless are back in the town square. I thought you should know."

"That's our cue!" Said Sora.

"Back to Halloween Town!" Said Donald.

"Fun time," I said. We began to walk towards the door.

"But wait! What about finding the gift-napper?" Asked Jack.

"Actually..." Started Sally. We looked over at her. "The Heartless were playing with some presents when I saw them." Jack straightened up and pointed his finger up.

"Aha! We have our culprits!" Said Jack. He looked at Sora, Donald, Goofy, and I. "Come on Gentlemen, let's go and get those gifts back!" We rushed back to Halloween town and saw the Heartless in the town square. They were throwing the gifts back and forth like balls. This was the first time I had ever seen Heartless playing instead of attacking people. It was a rather strange sight.

"Sally was right. We've got to get the presents," said Sora. We pulled out our weapons and charged towards the Heartless. I slashed one Heartless in half. I caught the present while it was in the air and then I inspected it for damage. It seemed fine other than having a few rips on the wrapping from the Heartless' claws. I looked over at the others to see they had defeated the other Heartless as well. Jack was holding an empty box while stepping on the doll that was inside of it before the Heartless got it.

"What a shame! It looks like it was such a nice present," said Jack.

"Uh... Jack..." Started Sora as he saw the doll under Jack's foot.

"Oh help!" Exclaimed a voice. We looked over to see Dr. Finkelstein outside of his lab looking around. "Someone help me! My latest experiment is gone... it's been stolen!" We walked over to him. He lead us into his lab. "I was just sitting here brainstorming, when all of a sudden I was attacked! I collapsed! And when I awoke, my experiment was gone!" He explained.

"This thief must be very sneaky," I said.

"Don't worry, Doctor... we know who took it!" Said Jack.

"Who?" Asked Dr. Finkelstein.

"The Heartless," said Sora.

"What, those wretched things? Preposterous! This was nothing like a Heartless."

"Not the Heartless... huh," said Sora as he folded his arms.

"Who else could it be?" Asked Donald.

"Say, I have an idea. The thief must like Christmas present. So... We place irresistible gifts about to draw him into a trap," said Jack.

"And this miscreant is the same one who stole my experiment?" Asked Dr. Finkelstein.

"That's right."

"How will we know for sure?" Asked Sora.

"Well, now, that's easy! We'll scare a confession right out of him!"

"Interrogation then," I said.

"Gawrsh," said Goofy. Sora looked over at Donald, Goofy, and I.

"What do you say we go with Jack's plan...just for now?" He asked.

"I think it will work. Since this thief seems to like presents, they wouldn't mind trying to nab a few more," I said.

"Then we catch him!" Said Donald.

"Let's get to Sandy's house posthaste! We've got to make some Christmas presents, quickly!" Exclaimed Jack. We headed back to Santa's house. He looked over at us as we came in, probably hoping that we had found the presents or the thief.

"Have you found the presents yet?" Asked Santa.

"Almost, Mr. Claws," said Jack.

"We're going to reel in the thief with Christmas presents as bait," said Sora.

"Would you mind if we used your factory to create a few presents?" Santa seemed a bit shocked at our idea.

"Using presents as bait? Goodness... I don't like the sound of that," said Santa. He paused for a second. "Just this once, I suppose. It's for a good cause... All right, use the second floor. And put some heart into it." We walked up the stairs and into the second floor. There was toys, wrapping paper, ribbons, boxes, tape, and various things like that scattered across the room. We all sat down at the large table. Two elves pushed a cart over to us loaded with toys. We reached in and pulled out toys and boxes to put them in.

"Reminds me of the few weeks before Christmas when I would spend a few days wrapping gifts instead of doing work," I said.

"So how many do we need?" Asked Donald. Jack looked over at the bin of toys and back at us.

"Hmm... I think 100 would do," said Jack.

"Wak! 100?" Exclaimed Donald as he almost jumped out of his chair.

"Gawrsh, that's quite a lot," said Goofy as he scratched his head.

"Then we had better get busy," said Sora.

"Oh boy," I said.

For the next hour or so we wrapped presents. Present, after present, after present, after present. It seemed endless. But there were some moments that made it a rather enjoyable time, like when Donald got a small bit of tape stuck on him and soon ended up with the entire roll of table all over him after he exploded in a burst of shouts filled with undecipherable words. We looked at our hard work that was now a large pile of presents.

"All done," said Donald.

"Not quite," said Jack.

"There's more?" Asked Goofy.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of the rest," said Jack. Jack walked off in another direction.

"I wonder what he's plannin'," said Goofy.

"We'll find out soon enough..." Said Sora. We went back downstairs to let Santa know that we had finished the presents.

"Did you finish making the presents?" Asked Santa.

"Yup, just waiting for Jack," said Sora.

"So uh... where do you think we oughta leave them?" Asked Goofy.

"Oh, I know a good spot. Whenever you're ready, just say the word," said Santa.

"I'm back," said Jack as he walked over to us.

"Alright, let's go," said Santa as he opened the door and led us outside. He opened a large gate to the left of his house. "This plaza should work well for your plan. Now, Jack...what IS your plan?"

"I've got it all figured out," said Jack.

"You do?" Jack nodded.

"Of course! And I also have a wonderful idea. If we catch the thief for you, I would be honored to deliver the..." Sora covered Jack's mouth.

"And on that note, we'll be going," said Sora. We began to lead Jack to the plaza.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" Said Jack as we dragged him along. I wondered what Jack's plan was. But when I finally found out what he was planning, I really regretted not asking him about it in the first place. We covered the area around the large Christmas Tree with the presents. And behind all the presents was a REALLY big present. Want to know what was inside of it? All five of us, that's what. Jack's plan was to stuff all of us into a present, even himself.

"Stop kicking!" Exclaimed Donald.

"It's not me, Donald," said Goofy.

"Patience friends," said Jack.

"Now I know what it feels like to be trapped in a box," I said.

"I said cut it out!" Exclaimed Donald.

"Gawrsh, was that you?" Asked Goofy.

"I think that was me," said Jack.

"How come we have to be the bait?" Asked Sora.

"Great plan, eh?" Asked Jack.

"Why aren't there air holes?" Asked Donald.

"Because Christmas Present's don't have holes in them."

"Realism at the expense of suffocation, I love it," I said sarcastically.

"With your dark powers, you can sense what is going on outside right?" Asked Sora.

"Yeah, nothing has come yet," I said. "But..."

"But what?" Asked Jack.

"I sense that someone forgot to put on deodorant, it REEKS in here!" I complained.

"Not to mention really hot and stuffy," said Sora.

"Wait, something is coming!" I whispered. "On my word..." I waited for the presence of this being to come closer. "Now!" We jumped out of the present.

"Gotcha!" Exclaimed Sora.

"What in the...?" I asked as I saw the culprit.

"Doctor Finkelstein's experiment did it!" Exclaimed Jack. The experiment swung it's arm down at us.

"Wak!" Exclaimed Donald as we quickly jumped out of the box and out of harm's way. I rolled across the ground, flipped back up, and summoned the Dark Horizon. Donald opened fire with magic spells to hold back the Experiment while everyone else charged in and attacked. The Experiment started spinning it's arms around like a large helicopter blade, forcing us to move back. The three parts of the Experiment divided into smaller sections. They started spinning around in opposite directions. Goofy blocked the lower section's attack as it began to spin towards us. Jack pelted the experiment with a fire spell. Donald helped with magic as well. Sora dodged the laser coming from the head and struck the body several times. I jumped into the air, spun around, and hit the head with several flare spells. Then I hit it with the Dark Horizon several times.

"Isn't this thing supposed to be a friend for those three kids? Why does it have combat capabilities?" I asked.

"Good question, let's just hope those three don't find out about this," said Jack. We continued to fight the experiment and eventually we defeated it. It collapsed in several pieces and didn't get back up. "We did it! The mystery is solved!" Exclaimed Jack.

"Look," said Goofy as he pointed up at the sky. We all looked up to see Santa in his sleigh, riding down towards us. The bells on the harnesses sung their song as Santa brought the sleigh down to the ground.

"Did you catch the thief?" He asked as he got off the sleigh and walked over towards us.

"Naturally!" Said Jack.

"I just can't figure out why the doctor's experiment would go around and steal Christmas presents," said Sora.

"His experiment?" Asked Santa.

"The thief! It was a moving puppet made by Doctor Finkelstein," said Jack.

"Hmm... The doctor's made a moving puppet? I see... He is always tinkering with things. Now listen, Jack. I'd like to thank you, and while delivering presents is something only I can do, I can give you an idea of what it's like." Jack looked excited... no not just excited, more like REALLY excited.

"Sandy Claws!" He leaped into the sleigh and flew off into the sky. Santa looked over at the remains of the experiment.

"Yes, all that poor puppet wanted was a heart." We returned to Halloween Town to tell the Doctor who the culprit is. He seemed quite interested in how things turned out.

"Interesting! So the puppet wasn't stolen after all! It ran away on its own! In other words, my experiment was an overwhelming success!" He said.

"You could say that I guess," I said.

"Santa Claus thinks maybe it left because it was trying to find a heart," said Sora.

"Hmm... that's quite possible. Unlike my Sally, it wasn't equipped with a Heart," said the Doctor. With that, the Doctor spun around and went back into his lab.

"But if it wanted a heart, why was it going around stealing all those Christmas presents?" Asked Sora.

"Maybe because...presents are a way to give your heart to someone special," said Sally.

"Hmm...when you put it that way, I feel sort of bad for it." We looked up as we heard the sound of bells in the air. Jack landed on the ground after jumping out of the sleigh. He looked up as Santa flew off into the distance.

"Happy Halloween!" Called Santa as he flew off. My eyes widened as I saw a little speck of white fall to the ground.

"This is..." I said as I looked up and held out my hand. There were snow flakes falling out of the sky and down to the ground "Snow."

"What a nice present," said Sally.

"I don't understand. There's no box! No ribbon tied in a bow!" Said Jack.

"Jack, it's not about the box or the ribbons. It's about what's inside the box!" Said Sora.

"No, Sora. What really counts, what's really special, is the act of giving the gift. To wish deep in your heart to make someone else happy," said Sally.

"Right...of course! Thank you, Sally, you're absolutely right. Wait! What's this? I feel so strange...so very happy!" Said Jack.

"Jack, that must be Sally's present," said Goofy.

"Really? This wonderful feeling?" Asked Jack. He held Sally's hands. "Oh, Sally! You've given me the nicest present in the world! And I've nothing to give you in return. What would you like? Just name it. Absolutely anything."

"The nicest present I could ever ask for, Jack, is just to be with you," said Sally.

"You don't even have to ask for that," said Jack. He picked Sally up and jumped over to the plaza. Then they began to dance, hand in hand. Sora looked down at the ground.

"Maybe I never gave her a real present after all," said Sora.

"Who?" Asked Donald.

"Aw, I bet Kairi would like most anything you gave her," said Goofy.

"I know. That's what made it so hard to decide," said Sora.

"It's not the gift, it's what's in your heart," said Donald.

"Yeah, that's the most important part of giving a gift," I said.

"My heart..." Said Sora.

"You bet, Kairi's like Sally," said Donald.

"How?"

"Well, as long as she can be with you, what else does she need?" I looked down at the ground.

"_To want to be with someone you truly care for and nothing else... what does that feel like?" _I asked in my thoughts. We got back onboard our Gummi Ship.

"So where to now?" Asked Sora.

"Maybe we should go check on Leon and the others, to see how they're doin'," said Goofy.

"Good idea, I wonder if they have been able to recover after the Heartless War," I said.

"Alright Sora, set a course for Hallow Bastion," said Donald.

"Okay," said Sora. There was the jolt of the ship's engine starting up and we were on our way to Hollow Bastion.

So how are things over at Hollow Bastion? Find out in the next chapter. Sorry this took so long, I just got kind of busy since school started last week. And I didn't have much time last weekend. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long. Anyway, please review.


	21. When Computer Programs Attack

Thank you all who reviewed! Here it is, the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean, Kingdom Hearts, or Xenosaga.

* * *

Chapter 21: When computer programs attack

In the Old Mansion at Twilight Town, Fayt had finally found something after spending an hour or so looking at the computer.

"Based on this thing, it seems like that device over there is a transporter," said Fayt.

"Nice find but... where will this thing take us?" Asked Cliff.

"Who cares? Let's just activate this device and use it," said Albel.

"In this situation, you're right. It might be better off to just use it and ask questions later," said Dr. Leingod.

"I agree, we don't have much choice nor time. Who knows how much damage those Nobodies and Heartless have caused to our Universe during our absence?" Said Nel.

"Then let's use the device," said Adray.

"Hold on a second... well this is a problem," said Fayt.

"What's wrong?" Asked Mrs. Leingod. Fayt looked back over at the others.

"It seems like we can't use this thing unless we type in the password."

"You've gotta be kidding," said Cliff as he put a hand to his face. Fayt looked back at the Computer screen and then back at Sophia.

"Maybe your powers will do something," he suggested.

"Okay, I'll try," said Sophia. She walked towards the computer and touched the screen. There was a loud beep sound and a beam of light shot down from the device on the right.

"Alright it worked!" Said Cliff. Fayt got up from the chair and walked towards the transporter.

"Let's go," said Fayt. They all got on the transporter and there was a flash of light. As it faded away in various hexadecimal digits Fayt and the others looked around at their destination... only to see that it looked very familiar.

"Wait a minute, this is the same place," said Adray.

"No, it's not," said Dr. Leingod.

"How can you tell?" Asked Nel. He pointed at where the computer was.

"Take a look at that."

"The Computer!" Exclaimed Sophia. They all starred in shock as they saw that the Computer has been so badly damaged that it was sparking and not functioning. Fayt walked over and looked at it.

"This thing won't ever work again. Whatever happened here completely destroyed this computer," said Fayt.

"Why would someone do this anyway?" Asked Cliff. Nel looked over at the entrance to the next room several feet away.

"I sense that something is in the next room," said Nel.

"Something?" Asked Sophia.

"Yeah, but I don't know what."

"Only one way to find out," said Albel as he walked through the open door. "What is that?" Everyone rushed in to see a large sphere of energy in the corner of the room.

"I agree with Albel, what IS that thing?" Asked Cliff.

"Some sort of energy? Or maybe a portal?" Asked Dr. Leingod as they got closer to it.

"I don't remember seeing this thing when I last entered this room," said Adray.

"It must be what we have been looking for," said Fayt. He began to walk closer to it.

"Wait are you sure this is a good idea?" Asked Mrs. Leingod. Fayt stopped and looked over at his Mother.

"I think it will be fine."

"I agree with Fayt. I've got a hunch that this thing will lead us to a new place," said Cliff. Fayt raised an eyebrow and looked over at Cliff.

"Another hunch?"

"Yeah, a hunch. You remember how all my previous hunches were correct, right?"

"What about that time that Mirage told me about, the one involving the asteroid?" Cliff smacked a hand to his forehead.

"But that was one time out of many," he protested. _"Why did Mirage tell him about that?" _Cliff looked over at the others. "At any rate: 'Nothing ventured' as they say. The only way to find out is to walk through that thing."

"Seems like that's the only choice," said Sophia. The group walked into the portal. When they arrived at the other side they were in a completely different place.

"Whoa..." Said Fayt.

"I wasn't expecting this," said Albel.

"Talk about surreal," said Cliff.

This new area was a cloud of energy. It consisted of light red colors mixed with light and dark blue. Circling around in groups was a bunch of Nobody Symbols. At the far end of this room was a green portal that had dark energy coming from it. It was dead silent, they couldn't even hear the sound of their own footsteps. The oddest thing about this room was that there was no walls and no floor. And yet you could walk in this room as if there was a floor.

"What is this place?" Asked Nel.

"I don't think we're in Twilight Town anymore," said Adray.

"It seems like we are getting close, look at the symbols," said Sophia as she pointed at the constantly moving Nobody Symbols.

"That's the marking that is on those Nobody Creatures," said Albel. "It seems like this is the 'back door' to their stronghold."

"It must be, and that portal over there must lead to their world," said Dr. Leingod.

"Then let's show them what happens when they disturb the peace," said Nel.

"Right, let's go!" Said Fayt. They walked through the next portal and they arrived in the World that Never Was. All of them just starred in bewilderment at this new place.

"It's a city... a very creepy looking city," said Sophia.

"This place is Organization XIII's world?" Asked Nel.

"Rather fitting place for a group like them," said Cliff.

"They must have a strong hold somewhere in this city. Let's find it," said Fayt. They began to search the city, to find Organization XIII's base.

* * *

Meanwhile in space...

* * *

I was currently piloting the Gummi Ship. Sora, Donald, and Goofy went to the Cabin to get some sleep. But since someone needs to keep watch of what's happening outside of the Gummi Ship, one of us stays awake while the others sleep. Generally I volunteer for this job. Nobodies do not require sleep, I mean they can sleep but they don't have to. But since I am half human I have to sleep, but not as much as a regular person would. While I am on duty I usually just sit there and look out the window for danger. But today I was lost in my thoughts. Suddenly the Dark Horizon popped up in my hand.

"Is something wrong? I can sense that you are troubled," said the Dark Horizon.

"Well, it's just... you remember before we left Halloween Town?" I asked.

"Of course I do. I don't have trouble remembering things that happened only a few hours ago. Why?"

"It's just... some things I heard back there. They've been puzzling me, that's all."

"What things?" I sighed and looked out the window.

"Well... it's just... I don't quite understand what they were talking about. To be with someone you care for and not need anything else... what does that feel like?" The Dark Horizon didn't say anything. "Perhaps being half Nobody has this effect on me." I looked back over at the Dark Horizon.

"I must say, all of my wielders have had something in common," said the Dark Horizon.

"What would that be?"

"All the ones in the past had issues of various kinds, just like you."

"I see..." I would have asked more questions about the other wielders but I chose not to. It wasn't important right now, so I decided not to pursue it. The Dark Horizon disappeared from my hand. I swear, it's impossible to predict when that Keyblade will appear on it's own accord. I wonder why the Dark Horizon is so unique amongst all Keyblades. I looked over to see the door to the bridge open up. Sora, Donald, and Goofy walked in.

"Good morning guys," I said.

"Good mornin'," said Goofy.

"How is it you are still awake after all this time?" Asked Donald.

"Don't you feel tired?" Asked Sora. I shrugged and stretched in my chair.

"Not really, I will probably take a little nap after we check in with everyone at Hollow Bastion," I said.

"Looks like we are there," said Goofy. I looked back over at the window to see that we were closing in on Hollow Bastion.

"Well what do you know," I said. We landed on Hallow Bastion and got off the ship. Everything seemed to be fine... minus the fact that there were quite a few Heartless running about.

"Wait a sec... I thought everything was supposed to be under control here," said Sora.

"Hey look!" Said Donald. Suddenly one of the town's defense mechanisms went off nearby. Hold on, those things are supposed to go off when there are Heartless in the area... and yet the local Heartless just ran off. What's going on here?

"I don't like the looks of this," I said.

"Must be Organization XIII again. We better go see Leon," said Sora. We started walking towards Merlin's house, where Leon would probably be. As we got close to the next area we saw Scrooge (a duck who looks a lot like Donald) jumping up and down as if he was really happy about something.

"Bless me bagpipes! I did it! I recreated 'Sea-Salt Ice Cream!'" He exclaimed as we walked over to him.

"_Sea-Salt Ice Cream? Oh yeah, that's what Ansem and I had at the Ice Cream store at Twilight Town," _I said in my thoughts.

"Can we try some?" Asked Donald.

"Of course!" Said Scrooge. He handed us all a bar of it.

"_This is as good as the bar I had back in Twilight Town,"_ I said in my thoughts.

"Oh boy! This is good!" Said Donald.

"So salty!" Said Sora.

"But sweet," said Goofy.

"Aye. It's unique! When I was a lad, all the kids were crazy for it." Said Scrooge. After we finished the ice cream we thanked Scrooge and continued off towards Merlin's house. As we arrived at the front door a bunch of Heartless appeared. But instead of being the local variety they were the ones from inside Ansem's Computer. Okay, something is DEFINITELY wrong here if new Heartless are popping up. We defeated the Heartless and the door to Merlin's house opened up. Yuffie popped her head out from the open door.

"Come on in," she said. We walked in and Yuffie closed the door. Cid was sitting at the small computer, typing something.

"Wait just a second... What happened to this place?" Asked Sora.

"Didn't that Heartless look like the ones from Tron's world?" Asked Goofy.

"Yeah, it did," I said.

"It stuck out like a sore thumb," said Donald.

"Hurry up, Cid!" Exclaimed Yuffie as she turned her attention over to him.

"Give me a second!" Exclaimed Cid.

"Confound it! Hurry!" Exclaimed Merlin.

"Why, you..." Started Cid.

"What's going on?" Asked Sora. Merlin and Cid stopped glaring daggers at each other and looked over at Sora.

"Talk about yer' good timin'," said Cid.

"The MCP is wreaking havoc inside the computer," said Yuffie.

"Not again!" Exclaimed Donald. Man, that's one rebellious program. I wonder what went wrong that caused it to act this way. I have never heard of a program that was created to act hostile and attempt to take control of everything.

"According to Leon anyway, there was some sort of alarm going off up at the Postern. He went on over to Ansem's Study to find out what all the ruckus was about. Turns out the MCP is using the data in that computer to crank out Heartless. The MCP's been messin' around with the town's control system, too." Said Cid.

"That MCP sure doesn't know when to quit, does it?" Asked Yuffie.

"That's a computer program for ya."

"So true, they don't give up until they complete what they are programmed to do," I said. _"Damn, this is almost as bad as the Executioner Incident. At least the MCP is confined to the computer." _I said in my thoughts as I clenched my teeth.

"How's Tron doing?" Asked Sora.

"We can't reach him. We figure he must have been forced onto the game grid," said Yuffie.

"And it don't sound like a particularly fun game, either."

"You got that right," said Donald.

"We'll go check on Tron," said Sora.

"Thanks, kid. We're puttin' together an MCP Eradication program. I got a hunch it's almost finished, too," said Cid.

"Well, I hope your hunch is right for once!" Said Merlin. Cid glared daggers at Merlin.

"Listen, we're gonna need Tron's help when that Eradicator's completed..." Started Yuffie.

"Don't sweat it. We'll make sure to tell Tron!" Said Sora.

"Remember, boys, we're counting on you!" Said Merlin.

"Roger!" Said Sora. I took a few steps over to the computer and looked at the screen.

"So this is the program that will help take care of the MCP, right?" I asked.

"Yup," said Cid.

"Do you need a hand with it?"

"Well if it can get this program finished as soon as possible than yeah, why?" I looked over at Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

"I'm going to stay behind and help with this program. You guys head on over to the postern, I'll catch up later," I said.

"Okay, see you later, Alex," said Sora. They quickly left and headed off to the Postern. I looked back at Cid and the others and then at the computer.

"So what's your status?" I asked.

"The main part of the program has been completed, now we just need to add some small stuff in order to finish it,' said Cid.

"Are you using anything to enhance the program? It would probably help if you had that."

"Yes, I have added a touch of my magic to this program," said Merlin.

"Do you have any experience working with computers?" Asked Yuffie as she looked over at me. I nodded.

"Yeah, I have been working with computers for almost my entire life," I said.

"Alright then, do ya' know of anything that will help with this program?" Asked Cid.

"Yeah, I think I know of something that could help. I know of some sub-programs that I could add to this thing that will make it more powerful. But..."

"Is there a problem?" Asked Merlin. I nodded and folded my arms.

"Yeah, those sub-programs require a special type of coding. I doubt this computer has that format. If I had some sort of terminal that I could connect to this thing then this would be a..." I was cut off as something suddenly starting vibrating in my pocket. "What could that be?" I asked as I pulled out whatever was in my pocket. "What is this thing?" In my hand was a small device that looked like half of a video game controller. I pressed a button and a blue holo-screen appeared along with a holo-keyboard.

"What's that?" Asked Yuffie.

"It looks like it's some sort of hand-held computer," I said. _"This technology is incredible. Whoever made this thing is a genius," _I said in my thoughts. I began to press buttons to see what things would do. "1 new message?" I opened the inbox and the screen changed. On screen was a familiar face. "Shion?"

"Hey Alex, sorry I couldn't talk to you directly but it seems it's impossible to use the live video across universes. I could only send this video to you. I guess by now you have found the Connection Gear, it's the thing you are holding right now. I had KOS-MOS slip it into your pocket, you never know when you might need it. Besides, it will allow you to keep in touch. I don't know what you are doing right now, or if you have completed your mission, but whatever you are doing I wish you the best of luck with it. Come back and visit sometime, okay? See ya!" Said Shion. The screen disappeared and the default blue screen appeared.

"Who was that?" Asked Merlin.

"It's a friend of mine, her name's Shion," I said as I continued to browse the Connection Gear. "Alright, I can use this to connect to other computers and use programs."

"So you can do whatever your planin'?" Asked Cid. I nodded and began to walk towards the computer.

"Yeah, I think so." I pulled out a cable and connected the two computers together. Then we began working on the program. It was good that this program was written in the format it's in. It made it easy to integrate the sub-programs that I created. My job was finished first, now all we had to was wait for Cid to finish. But apparently Merlin's Magic was making the progress a little more difficult. With warning, the door bursted open and Leon rushed in.

"Finished?" He asked.

"Would be, if it weren't for the old loon's magic!" Exclaimed Cid as he was typing.

"OLD loon, you say?" Exclaimed Merlin as he glared at Cid.

"I'm tryin' to work here!" Exclaimed Cid. Merlin continued to glare at Cid as he raised his wand.

"Oh ho-ho-ho, I'll show you who's old!" As Merlin began to cast a spell, Cid finished the program. A disc popped out of a slot and Cid caught it in Mid-air.

"Done!" Merlin's spell hit the computer, creating a shockwave that sent Cid to the floor. He held up the disc and waved it around in the air. "There you go, Leon." Cid grunted and got up. "One homemade program. A loony wizard special." He handed the disc to Leon.

"This had better work," said Merlin.

"I'm off," said Leon.

"I'm going too," I said.

"Be on your guard!" Advised Merlin. Leon and I walked out the door and began to walk towards the Castle Postern.

"What's the status over at the castle?" I asked as I looked over at Leon.

"Not good, I'm afraid. As you probably know, the MCP is using the machine to create Heartless. We've managed to push them back so far. But it's only a matter of time before the try to take the Computer room over," said Leon.

"And I take it that Sora, Donald, and Goofy have entered the Computer by now."

"That's right. They are going to try and contact Tron. This program was designed to be used by Tron. Hopefully it will work." We arrived at the Postern only to see Heartless all over the place. Leon pulled out his weapon and I summoned the Dark Horizon. "Looks like getting in is going to be a little difficult." I nodded.

"Yeah, we'll just have to break through." We began to charge towards the entrance to the castle. I slashed through a nearby Heartless as I was running, I jumped to the side as a large Heartless tried to attack me and then Leon cut it in half. We broke through any other Heartless that got in the way and went inside the castle. From there we traversed through the maze of hallways and into Ansem's Study. As we got there, Leon went up to the computer and entered a command into it.

"Alex, go and let them know that the program will be loaded shortly," said Leon.

"You got it!" I said as I walked in front of the terminal.

"Good luck," said Aerith. The device on the back wall began to glow, as the light hit me I was transported into the computer. When I opened my eyes I was at the I/O Tower. Standing around the pillar of light was Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Tron.

"I was wondering where you were when I didn't see you with these three," said Tron.

"Is the program done?" Asked Sora. I nodded and looked up at the pillar of light.

"Yeah, they should be loading it up as we speak," I said. Suddenly there was the sound of the terminal becoming active.

"There!" Said Tron.

"Alright!" Said Sora. Tron jumped up onto the system and removed the Identity Disk from his back. He held it up into the light and it floated up to the top. It came back down a few seconds later with the program on it. Tron looked at it as he analyzed the program.

"What's it like?" Asked Goofy.

"This is very strange..." Said Tron.

"That's Merlin's Magic," said Donald.

"And a few extra things I added to the program to make it more powerful," I added. Tron stepped off of the platform and walked back towards us.

"Huh? There's a power booster for me! And flight routines for the solar sailer!" Said Tron.

"Meaning...we're set?" Asked Sora.

"Well, like you Users say... we won't know till we give it a try!" Sora nodded in agreement. "We'll need a sailer to reach the MCP, so let's get to the simulation hangar!" We quickly left the central area and headed down the hallway to a room with a really large platform. It was very thin too. I really doubt that this thing could hold much weight without collapsing. And yet, it looks very stable somehow. We got onboard and Tron activated it. Soon we were sailing off into the purple landscape.

The view was very nice, mainly because there was no wall on this thing. We would be easy targets for Heartless. It's like putting yourself in clear view for a sniper. It was quiet, far too quiet. I could sense that an ambush was near, and that kind of suspense is the worst of all. Tron looked back over at us.

"You've got to keep a look out," said Tron. "The MCP isn't going to just let us waltz in." Suddenly a bunch of Heartless appeared and began to board the Solar Sailer. We fought them off and arrived at our destination. There was a large pillar ahead of us, it was obvious that the MCP was in there somewhere. "The MCP is straight ahead."

"Time to settle things for good," said Sora. We rushed into the building to see a large, red, spinning pillar. And every now and then I swear I could see a face on that thing. To the left of the spinning pillar was a man in attire similar to Tron's. Only it was glowing orange red. He had an unpleasant look on his face that made him look like he wasn't all that hospitable of a person. "Who is that?" Asked Sora.

"Sark. The MCP's number two," said Tron.

"Tenacious little bugs! You're time is up. Prepare for de-resolution!" Said Sark. We pulled out our weapons and got ready to fight. Sark's attacks consisted of teleporting around and shooting laser attacks at us. We quickly brought him down to his knees. "You're very persistent, Tron."

"I'm also better than you."

"We...would have made a great team..." Tron threw his Identity Disk at Sark. There was a loud crack as it broke his helmet thing and he fell to the ground. We turned our attention to the red pillar.

"Now for the MCP!" Said Tron.

"This thing is the MCP?" Asked Sora.

"I wasn't expecting the MCP to look like this," I said.

"That's it. Ugly, isn't it?" Asked Tron.

"That it is," said Donald.

"Tron... Don't you understand? We don't need Users. We've advanced, they're superfluous. Be a part of me, and together the world will be ours to control!" Said the MCP. Tron shook his head.

"MCP. You still don't get it, do you?" Asked Tron. The MCP stopped spinning and starred right at us with it's ugly face.

"Sark..." There was no response from Sark. "Sark! All my functions are now yours." Sark slowly got up and grew bigger. I looked over at Sora and the others.

"I'll hold him off. You guys work on defeating the MCP!" I said.

"Gotcha," said Sora. I looked up at Sark.

"Alright, big guy, I'll show you that size doesn't matter!" Since he was bigger, so was his attacks. He shot off several lasers at me. I blocked them and then slashed at one of his legs. There was now a marking where I had hit him. He swiped at me with his large arms. I dodged to the side and slashed his other leg. He fell to the ground and wasn't able to get up, but he was still alive. I jumped up and stabbed the Dark Horizon into his head. He went limp and floated up into the air. "How do you like that?"

"I will repair your functions," said the MCP. A soft light glowed from the areas where I had hit Sark and then he got back up.

"Data restored," said Sark.

"You've got to be kidding me," I said. If he can be restored over and over again, then the only way to defeat him is by taking out the MCP. Which means I'm going to have to keep on fighting this guy until Sora and the others succeed with their task. Suddenly, the humming coming from the MCP completely stopped. I looked over to see the MCP had turned blue and was now shrinking. Within a few seconds it had completely disappeared. Sark disappeared as well.

"We did it!" Exclaimed Tron as he jumped up in joy.

"I see Tron has a silly side, too." Said Sora.

"I learned it from you. Of course, I do have my silly limits."

"_I think we have been a bad influence on Tron," _I said in my thoughts.

"Okay, then I'll tweak your program when I get back to the User world," said Sora.

"You? Maybe we'd better not try that," said Tron with a smile on his face and a tone of nervousness in his voice.

"Aww...How 'bout it, guys? Singin' Tron? Dancin' Tron!" Sora spun into the air and landed on the ground.

"That would be an interesting sight," I said.

"Sounds good?" Asked Sora.

"Yeah," said Donald. Tron chuckled a little bit.

"Okay, okay, fine. But before I crash... Sora, Donald, Goofy, Alex... and all the Users out there... Thank you... You really helped me. You made me so much stronger. You taught me what friendship is truly all about. And, I'll never forget it. As soon as I met you, I knew we were going to defeat the MCP and free the system." Said Tron. He held out his hand. Sora shook it and then Tron embraced him in a hug.

"Uhhh..." Said Sora.

"Isn't this what Users do when they're sorry to say goodbye?" Asked Tron.

"Uhhh...it's a first for me." Said Sora.

"Gawrsh, Tron, it's like a promise that we'll see each other again real soon," said Goofy.

"Okay. Well, then..." Tron hugged Goofy, Donald, and then me. "I promise." He slowly began to back away.

"Where are you going?" Asked Sora. Tron waved and jumped into the core without warning. We ran up to the edge of the hole and looked down into it. "Tron..." Suddenly there was a loud rumbling, and then we were transported out of the computer and back into Ansem's Computer room.

"You're here!" Said Aerith.

"Welcome back!" Said Yuffie. Sora nodded, but he looked sad.

"How's the town?" He asked.

"A-okay!" Said Yuffie.

"Not a single trace of the MCP, either. Everything's back to normal. We made it," said Aerith. Yuffie noticed Sora's sad face and pointed right at him.

"Hey, why the long face? What happened?"

"Tron just... disappeared," said Donald.

"And he promised we'd see him again..." Said Sora. Suddenly there was an alarm.

"An alarm?" I asked.

"What's happening?" Asked Aerith.

"Greetings, friends. System is up, and ready for User input," said Tron's voice from the computer. I guess we know who our new MCP is. At least this one will be a good MCP, unlike the last one.

"Tron!" Said Sora, Donald, Goofy, and I.

"Stay in touch!"

"Yeah!" Said Sora. Donald ran over to the keyboard.

"Oh boy, oh boy!" He said. Donald began to randomly type buttons.

"Hey, stop that! It tickles!" Said Tron.

"Tron is ticklish?" Asked Goofy. Goofy and I looked over at Sora. He looked at us and then grinned evilly. I grinned and then Sora and I began to walk towards the computer. Goofy was chuckling in the background.

"How 'bout this!" Said Sora. He started typing buttons randomly along with Donald. I would occasionally press a button or two whenever there was room for me.

"Please stop that!" Said Tron between fits of giggles and laughing.

"I think Tron's been hanging around those guys too much," said Yuffie.

"W-wait, wait just a moment. I want to show you something I dug up from the system archives," said Tron. "You can see the town back when it was first built." A bunch of images popped up. On the picture was tons of flowers and other plants, filled with water such as rivers, waterfalls, and streams. There were buildings here and there and a great castle in the horizon.

"Wow..." I said. "Hey, look outside!" Said Yuffie. We all quickly ran outside to see small pink sparkles coming from the sky. Aerith looked over at Sora.

"You know, this town had another name once," she said.

"Hm?" Asked Sora.

"Radiant Garden." We boarded our Gummi Ship shortly afterwards and then talked about what we were going to do next.

"So where to now?" I asked.

"I don't know, we don't have any other leads. Other than this," said Sora as he pulled out a picture and handed it to me.

"A picture of Hayner, Pence, Olette, and Roxas?" I asked.

"What? You know who he is?" Asked Sora. I nodded.

"Yeah, I met him once. It was very brief. He looked a lot like you. I thought it was you when I saw him," I said. I looked at the picture again. "Hey, this place looks familiar. The gate they are standing in front of.

"The mansion!" Said Goofy as he recognized it too.

"Oh that's right!" I said.

"Now I remember, that place where we woke up at," said Sora.

"So it's off to Twilight Town?" Asked Donald. Sora nodded.

"Yeah, let's go!" Donald set a course for Twilight Town and we were on our way. Sora looked over at me.

"What makes you think we will find something there?" Asked Sora.

"I don't know, it's just this feeling that I have. Perhaps we will find a clue there, one that will lead us to the Realm of Darkness. That's what I am thinking," I said.

* * *

So what will our Heroes find in Twilight Town? Find out in the next chapter. And any of you out there who have played Kingdom Hearts II must know one thing by now: This is the beginning of the end. Anyway, please review. 


	22. Axel's Last Stand

Thank you all who reviewed! Before the disclaimer I'd like to say something. I really enjoy hearing what you, the readers, think of my fan fics. So keep letting me know what you think, okay?

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean, Kingdom Hearts, or Xenosaga.

* * *

Chapter 22: Axel's Last Stand

"We will reach Twilight Town in a few minutes," said Donald.

"Okay, then I have some time," I said.

"Time for what?" Asked Sora as he looked over at me.

"I have someone to thank for our victory against the MCP," I said as I pulled out the Connection Gear. I activated it and switched to the video mail mode.

"Gawrsh, I don't remember you using that before," said Goofy.

"It's because I didn't know that I had this until we were on Hollow... err I mean Radiant Garden. A new friend of mine gave it to me, with me not knowing, after I had escaped from the Realm of Darkness."

"Oh that's right, I forgot to ask you about what happened between you getting captured and then showing up in the Land of Dragons," said Sora.

"Spill the beans," said Donald.

"Well..." I explained everything that had happened. From going to Spira to meeting Shion and the others.

"Sounds like a lot happened," said Goofy.

"So Shion gave you that thing which you used to help write the program?" Asked Sora.

"Yeah, now I am deeper in her debt," I said. I created a new message and the connection gear began to record. "Hey Shion! I finally realized that this thing was in my pocket. It's actually kind of funny. I've been running around with this thing in my pocket for awhile now and I didn't even know about it. It has already come in handy, I can't thank you enough for your help." I looked behind me and over at Sora, Donald, and Goofy. "These are my friends, the ones I told you guys about."

"Hey Shion, thank you for your help!" Said Sora.

"Gawrsh, it's too bad that we can't meet ya in person," said Goofy.

"Take us there so we can meet them at some point, okay?" Asked Donald as he looked over at me.

"You got it," I said. I turned my attention back over to the screen. "We have a good lead that just might lead us to Organization XIII's world. So this means that the end of our quest is near. Talk to ya later, bye." I stopped the recording and then I sent it. "Well, that takes care of that."

"Look, Twilight Town!" Said Goofy as he pointed ahead.

"Alright, let's go," said Sora. We transported down to Twilight Town. I looked around to see that Twilight Town was the same as last time I had been here. Now if only we could find some time to get some of that Sea-Salt Ice Cream...

"So where do you think that mansion is? I've had so much on my mind lately that I have forgotten where it was," I said as we were walking.

"Wasn't it beyond a forest or something?" Asked Donald.

"Oh yeah, there was that hole in the wall. It lead into a forest, I think," said Sora.

"Alright then, let's go there," said Goofy. We found the wall in question a few blocks away. Beyond it was the forest from before and finally we found ourselves in the clearing where the mansion is. On the ground was Hayner, Pence, and Olette. We quickly rushed over to them. Sora bent down and looked at Hayner.

"Hey, are you alright?" Asked Sora. Hayner grunted and slowly got up. "What happened?"

"We came here looking for Kairi. Then those white things attacked us..." Said Hayner. Pence and Olette got back up on their feet.

"You gotta be careful!" Said Donald.

"Yeah, you guys didn't have to go and do that," said Sora.

"Of course we did. Kairi's our friend, too, ya know," said Hayner as he folded his arms.

"You're right... You know, I never thought of it like that before." Hayner looked over at the mansion.

"Word is, this mansion gets a lot of really strange visitors. I heard that a whole group of strange people came here a little while ago."

"We thought this place might be the gateway to some kind of alternate Twilight Town," said Olette.

"What do you mean, alternate Twilight Town?" Asked Sora. Alternate Twilight Town... maybe Twilight Town in a parallel Universe? Whatever it is, this sounds very interesting.

"Hey, Goofy, do you think we could see that crystal of yours?" Asked Pence. Goofy nodded and puled out the blue crystal out of the small orange pouch.

"I made that pouch myself, and I still have it. So there shouldn't be two of them here," said Olette.

"And that trophy Seifer gave you. You left it behind, remember?" Asked Hayner.

"It's the only one of its kind. Same for the crystals; red, blue, yellow, green... only one of each color. But you've got your own!" Said Pence.

"Hmm... interesting. You are right, there shouldn't be another blue crystal if the one on that trophy is one of a kind," I said.

"So...where'd you get it?" Asked Hayner.

"The pouch is from the King. When he gave us munny for the train ride, he gave us the crystal too," said Goofy.

"But then...where did the KING get it?" Asked Pence.

"See? There's gotta be another town out there like this one. That would explain how the King got that pouch and the crystal. Everything makes sense," said Hayner.

"It... does?" Asked Sora.

"Yeah, that makes perfect sense," I said.

"That other town must be where whatever's missing from here went!" Said Pence.

"Like Kairi," said Olette.

"_Wait, then does that mean that the Realm of Darkness is the other Twilight Town? Or are they two different places?" _I asked in my thoughts. The only way to find out would probably be to just go back into that mansion and find out.

"I get it!" Said Sora. Suddenly several Nobodies appeared out of nowhere. Suddenly one of the nearby Nobodies was killed and the King flipped down to the ground. He sure is talented at appearing out of nowhere...

"Watch out!" Said King Mickey. We pulled out our weapons and began to fight. I jumped to the side as one of the Nobodies slashed at me with it's claws. I blocked the other set of claws and then slashed it in half. I blocked a shot from a sniper Nobody and hit the attack back towards it, killing it. After awhile all the Nobodies were defeated. "I got somethin' to tell ya. I found out where Ansem is... Ansem the Wise! The real Ansem! He snuck into Organization XIII's stronghold."

"How did he get in there? You'd think that Organization XIII would know about it right away," I said.

"I think he found a way to conceal his presence from them."

"And we know where Kairi is," said Sora.

"But why'd you all come here?"

"Someone gave us a clue."

"Who?"

"Well, Your Majesty, Sora thinks it might've been Riku," said Goofy.

"It's just a feeling I had," said Sora.

"Well, if that's what ya think, then it's probably right," said King Mickey.

"You mean Riku's okay!" Said Sora with a relieved look on his face.

"If that's what ya think..." Said King Mickey as he looked away.

"I've waited long enough, Your Majesty! Tell me what you know!" Protested Sora.

"It's not for me to say."

"But Your Majesty! Why?"

"I don't wanna break my promise."

"You made a promise to Riku? So he's okay! I can see him again!" King Mickey jumped and covered his mouth as he realized that he probably said something that he shouldn't have said.

"Huh? Who's Riku?" Asked Hayner.

"My best friend," said Sora.

"That's IT!" Exclaimed Pence as if he has just figured something out.

"Your Majesty? You got the pouch with the crystal from Riku, didn't you? And you promised not to tell, right?" Asked Olette.

"Gosh, guys..." Said King Mickey as he looked down at the ground.

"That's enough!" Said Donald

"Yeah. Let's go!" Said Sora. He turned towards the Mansion. "Kairi! Riku! We're on our way!" We walked through the courtyard and into the mansion. The mansion was as quiet as last time I was here.

"There's gotta be a computer somewhere," said King Mickey.

"A computer... Do you think it's connected to that other Twilight Town?" Asked Pence.

"It might be. And there should be a way into the Realm of Darkness there."

"Riku told you that, didn't he?" Pressed Sora.

"Please, Sora. I made a promise."

"Aha! I knew it!"

"Hey! Stop pestering the King!" Said Donald.

"Right. Sorry..." I looked around the mansion, folded my arms, and lowered my head as I started thinking. I looked up as I remembered something about this place.

"Oh yeah, now I remember!" I said.

"What is it?" Asked Hayner.

"If I remember correctly, there was something in the library. It lead to somewhere."

"Looks like we have a lead, let's go," said King Mickey. We headed towards the library and found a set of stairs that lead down into a room with a strange looking computer with multiple screens.

"There!" Said King Mickey.

"We found it!" Said Sora.

"How does it work?" Asked Donald. I walked towards the computer and sat down in the chair.

"Leave the tech stuff to me," I said. I looked around at the computer to gain the general idea of it's setup. "Wow, this computer is weird. Half of the Keyboard is on one side and the other half is on the other." I placed my hands on the boards and accessed the computer. A folder popped up that was labeled: 'Twilight Town'. I accessed it and a new window popped up with several files in it. One was called: 'TWILIGHT TOWN.SIM'. I selected the file and looked at it's properties. "Hmm... interesting."

"What is it?" Asked Sora.

"Seems like this file is a simulator for Twilight Town. It seems to have a lot of files and data linked to it."

"Can you open it?" Asked King Mickey.

"Just a second." I tried to access it but then an image popped up. "Cannot view Simulator. Data corruption at 86."

"So what now?" Asked Donald.

"It seems like the part that's not corrupted is still useable. Let me try to access it." I tried to access it but then another window popped up. "Looks like we need a password." I sighed and looked over at Sora and the others.

"Do ya have any idea what the password might be?" Asked King Mickey.

"Well, we only got this photo..." Said Goofy as he showed the photo to King Mickey.

"And the salty-sweet ice cream bar!" Said Donald.

"Yeah, the one Donald ate up," said Sora.

"It was in the box right next to the photo," said Goofy. King Mickey jumped up as it dawned upon him.

"Hey, that's it! Ansem the Wise loved ice cream!" He said.

"Ice cream..." I said. I remembered that time that Ansem had taken me to the Ice Cream store in Twilight Town. I looked over at Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

"That flavor... wasn't it called Sea-Salt Ice Cream?" I asked.

"Yeah, something like that," said Sora.

"Could that be the password?" Asked Donald.

"Possibly," I said. I looked over at King Mickey. "What do you think Your Majesty?" I asked.

"It's worth a try. Knowing Ansem, that probably is the password," said King Mickey.

"Okay, I'll try it out." I typed in the flavor as the password. The window disappeared. "Alright, it worked!" I said. We all looked to our right as the machine next to the computer suddenly activated. A narrow beam came down from the machine. "It's a transporter," I said as I stood up from the computer.

"Let's go," said Sora.

"We'll be here to hold down the fort," said Hayner.

"Good luck out there," said Pence.

"Say hi to Kairi!" Said Olette.

"You bet!" Acknowledged Sora. We walked into the light and were transported... back to the same location? Wait... no... it doesn't feel like it. This feeling is quite similar to being in Tron's world, or in the Eternal Sphere. "Are we back in the same place?"

"Look!" Said Donald. We looked over at the Computer to see that it had been destroyed.

"This is the other Twilight Town. Roxas's Twilight Town," said Sora.

"There's gotta be an entrance into the dark realm somewhere," said King Mickey. We walked through the nearby door and saw a strange portal in the corner of the room.

"There..." Said Sora.

"This is it," said King Mickey. We walked through the portal and we arrived at a strange new place. This new area was a cloud of energy. It consisted of light red colors mixed with light and dark blue. Circling around in groups was a bunch of Nobody Symbols. At the far end of this room was a green portal that had dark energy coming from it. It was dead silent, they couldn't even hear the sound of their own footsteps. The oddest thing about this room was that there was no walls and no floor. And yet you could walk in this room as if there was a floor.

"What is this place?" Asked Sora.

"Well, which way should we go?" Asked Donald.

"Kairi! Riku!" Out of nowhere, a bunch of Nobodies appeared.

"Seems like the red carpet has teeth," I said as I summoned the Dark Horizon. We began to fight the Nobodies... but for each one we defeated three or five more would appear in it's place. So after awhile there were a lot more than when they first attacked us.

"It's no use!" Said Sora.

"Don't stop moving, or the darkness will overtake you!" Shouted Axel as he jumped out of nowhere and slashed through several Nobodies. "Get goin'!"

"Axel!" I said.

"But why?" Asked Sora.

"Don't ask! Just do it!" Said Axel. He got mauled by several Nobodies and he fell to the ground. We rushed to his side and destroyed the Nobodies that were attacking him.

"You okay?" Asked Sora. Axel slowly got up.

"I kidnaped Kairi, but she got away from me. After that, Saïx caught her. He's a member of Organization XIII. Saïx. Got it memorized? Now go save her!" Sora slashed up a Nobody that was about to attack him.

"Leave us alone!" Exclaimed Sora as he knocked away another Nobody.

"Sora, they just keep on coming! We have no choice but to fight," I said. Axel picked up his weapons and looked over at me.

"You're right. It's going to be hard for you guys to move on with all of these Nobodies here," said Axel.

"Then let's get this over with!" We all continued to fight the Nobodies... but this time with Axel fighting with us. Reminds me of the time I traveled with Axel after Raxiel rescued me. Nobodies kept coming, no matter how many we destroyed they just kept pouring in like water in a wild river that just broke the dam holding it back.

"I think I liked it better when they were on my side," said Axel.

"Feeling a little... regret?" Asked Sora as he looked over at Axel. Axel grinned and looked over at Sora.

"Nah, I can handle these punks. Watch this!" Axel jumped into the center. His weapons began to circle around him and then went ablaze with fire. He let out a shout and an inferno appeared out of nowhere and destroyed all the Nobodies.

"Whoa!" Said Sora. We looked around for Axel and saw him lying on the ground. He was starting to go transparent and there was small particles of darkness evaporating off of him.

"No!" I said as we ran over to him. We bent down and looked at him.

"You're... fading away..." Said Sora.

"Well, that's what happens when you put your whole being into an attack. You know what I mean? Not that Nobodies actually HAVE beings...right? Anyway, I digress. Go, find Kairi. Oh, almost forgot... Sorry for what I did to her," said Axel.

"When we find her, you can tell her that yourself."

"Think I'll pass. My heart just wouldn't be in it, you know? Haven't got one," said Axel. He laughed weakly.

"Axel, what were you trying to do?" Asked Sora.

"I wanted to see Roxas. He...was the only one I liked... He made me feel... like I had a heart. It's kind of... funny... You make me feel...the same..." He looked at me. "Hey Alex... I've got... something I need... to tell... you..."

"What is it?"

"Back when your Father betrayed Organization XIII... Xemnas sentenced him to death. He ordered me to kill... Aldax. I didn't have any choice. So I... went to your house... and killed both your Mother... and Your Father... then set the place... on fire..." Said Axel. He looked away from me. "I'm sorry... I couldn't disobey my orders." I shook my head.

"It's ok. I won't hold it against you, you didn't choose to kill them," I said. Axel looked back over at me.

"You know... I had... fun... when we went on... that little adventure. And I'm... grateful to you... thanks to you... I was able to see Roxas again. At least once... too bad I couldn't see him again."

"You will see him again, Axel. Someday, you will..." I said. Axel grinned and then looked over at Sora.

"Kairi's in the castle dungeon. Now go," said Axel. He raised his hand and another portal appeared ahead of us. Then his hand fell to the ground, limp and cold. I could only watch as he faded into the darkness.

"Axel..." Said Sora. I lowered my head.

"Goodbye... Axel..." I said. My mind wandered back to earlier when the two of us journeyed together. During that time, I began to see him as a friend. Now he is gone and here I am just sitting here as I helplessly watched him fade away, just like last time with Fayt and the others. _"Is this the fate of all Nobodies?" _I said in my thoughts as I looked up at the portal. _"Will I fade into the darkness too?" _

"This leads too..." Said Sora.

"Aw, come on! Let's get going," said Donald. We walked through the portal, into the Realm of Darkness. To finally end this prolonged battle.

* * *

So what awaits our heroes in the Realm of Darkness? Find out in the next chapter. Anyway, please review. I would really appreciate it if you did. 


	23. The Realm of Darkness

Thank you everyone who reviewed! Here's the next chapter, and you know the drill by now.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean or Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

Chapter 23: The Realm of Darkness

We arrived at the World That Never Was. I could feel my dark senses becoming stronger. Not only that I felt like I was stronger. I guess this is a result of being half nobody. We looked into the distance to see the large heart shaped moon

"Axel said Kairi's in the dungeon," said Sora.

"Then we better find a way to get to that castle!" Said King Mickey. He began to run off towards the castle. Without thinking I began to follow him. Sora, Donald, and Goofy tried to follow too but then they fell behind. King Mickey looked back to see that I wasn't too far behind him.

"I'm surprised that you can keep up with me!" Said King Mickey.

"Here in the Realm of Darkness I feel stronger for some reason," I replied. "Besides, you're trying to find Ansem, right? There are some things I want to talk to him about too."

"Then let's find him together!" Said King Mickey as he gave me the thumbs up sign. I nodded.

"You got it!" We continued to run towards the castle while cutting through any group of Heartless that attacked us. But then we came to a stop as we arrived at where the castle was. The problem was that we couldn't go any further. The castle was floating in the air above a massive hole. And there was no bridge connecting the ground to the castle. Out in the distance, on the other side of the hole, I could see the city stretching out for many miles. I had no idea that the Realm of Darkness was so big. "What now?" I asked.

"We'll wait for Sora, Donald, and Goofy to catch up. Then we'll search for a way in. There has to be one." After a few minutes Sora and the others finally caught up.

"Dead end?" Asked Sora. I nodded.

"Yeah, looks like it," I said.

"There's gotta be a path somewhere," said King Mickey.

"I don't see a path anywhere," said Donald.

"Look at that!" Said Goofy as he pointed to a section of the castle. There was a bright flash of light coming from that area. If I remember correctly that's the section of the castle where the prison is located. What happened there? Sora summoned his Keyblade and aimed it at the castle. A beam shot out of the Keyblade and went straight towards the castle. As the beam crossed the whole a bridge of light appeared under it, forming a path up to the castle. Sora lowered his Keyblade.

"Kairi, we're almost there," said Sora. We ran up the newly formed path and into the castle.

* * *

Meanwhile...

* * *

Fayt and Co had been looking for a way to the castle for awhile now. They tried the direct route to it but there was no way up to the castle. They stopped walking as they arrived at the Memory Skyscraper, not too far away from Organization XIII's castle.

"Where to now?" Asked Fayt as he looked around.

"I think those three people that we saw a few seconds ago ran up that way," said Cliff as he pointed to the street that lead directly to the castle.

"But why would they go that way? That's a dead end," said Sophia.

"Even so, they may know something. Let's go talk to them," said Nel.

"I agree with Nel. We might be able to learn something from them," said Fayt. They headed back to the dead end only to find a path of light heading up to the castle.

"Strange, I don't remember seeing that when we were last here," said Albel.

"Those people must have known how to access the bridge up to that place," said Adray.

"Do you think they know Alex?" Asked Fayt.

"Possibly, but the only way to find out is by asking," said Dr. Leingod. They began to walk up the bridge and into the castle.

* * *

Switching back to Sora and Co...

* * *

The interior of this castle was all metallic, glass, and shiny. It seemed like everything was either white, gray, or dark gray. And all over the place was Nobody symbols. I think they were trying to get a point across that this is their base.

"Kairi! Where are you?" Shouted Sora.

"Try saying that a little bit louder next time. I don't think Xemnas heard you," I said.

"Shrrr! Remember where we are! This is their stronghold!" Said King Mickey as he looked over at Sora. "Alright, let's keep moving." King Mickey started running and I followed him.

"Wait! Your Majesty!" Said Donald. But King Mickey kept on running and so did I. As we went upwards via an elevator I looked over at the King.

"Do you know exactly where Ansem is?" I asked. King Mickey shook his head.

"No, but I imagine that he is higher up somewhere," said King Mickey. We continued onward and eventually we ended up in a large hall that was heavily decorated with Nobody symbols. We entered a door that took us outside and onto a path that went further up. All over the place was Heartless and Nobodies. We began to run up the path. I slashed a Heartless in half and cut a nearby Nobody in half. I had to stop as I encountered a Berserker Nobody. Those are a little more difficult to handle. It started slashing at me with it's large hammer sword. One of it's blows hit the ground and I could feel the vibration of the impact in my feet. This sure isn't a lesser nobody. I slashed at it with the Dark Horizon only to have my attack blocked. As it slashed at me again I jumped onto it's weapon and then slashed it's head off. I quickly hurried up to see Mickey helping Ansem up.

As he stood up, he removed the bandages from his face. Ansem looked exactly like he had in the picture back at Radiant Garden. He looked down at Mickey and smiled.

"It's been too long, my friend," he said.

"Yes, it has," said King Mickey.

"Ansem," I said as I walked over to him. He looked over at me.

"I was not expecting to see you again so soon, Alex. But it is good to see you nonetheless. When I met you after you had awakened, you had the appearance of a lost boy. But now it looks like you have grown up, matured," said Ansem.

"Ansem, why didn't you come to me before things got so bad?" Asked King Mickey. Ansem looked back over at his old friend.

"Xemnas, the Organization's Superior, is the Nobody of Xehanort, my foremost apprentice. The burden was mine to bear."

"Is that all?" Ansem turned around and looked at the moon.

"I won't deny there was more. I was...obsessed with thoughts of revenge. My apprentices stole everything precious to me my research, and my pride."

"I can't help you with revenge." Ansem looked over his shoulder at King Mickey.

"I know. Riku's told me a thousand times," said Ansem.

"Where is he?"

"He must be with his friends by now. Riku was a great help to me. I found him wandering the darkness, after you and he lost track of each other," said Ansem as he looked back at the moon.

"Gosh, we didn't lose each other exactly. Riku left...well, 'cause Xehanort's Heartless was still inside his heart, troubling him. And he sure must've been suffering. But what I don't understand is why he looks like that now, when he's still Riku at heart..." That guy who had told me to look after Sora, that must have been Riku. I was wondering where he was. But what does Xehanort's Heartless have to do with any of this? What was his connection with Riku?

"I am to blame. When I met Riku the first time he still had the appearance of a boy. Probably because he had such a strong heart. I asked him to find a young man named Roxas from Organization XIII, and bring him to me. When I told him it would help Sora awaken from his slumber, Riku left without a word. He fought Roxas. And I can only surmise Riku lost that fight. Riku must have realized then: to fight in the realm of darkness, he would have to immerse himself in that same darkness. And when he did...you saw what became of him. When Riku brought Roxas back to me, he was introducing himself... as Ansem. If that was what it took to awaken his friend, he was ready to live in darkness. Riku was the victim of my revenge. ...Oh, how my heart ached. I could only laugh to hide my shame."

"I guess it musta been after that when I saw Riku again. He said he wanted to help Sora... but he made me promise; Promise that Sora wouldn't ever find out about what happened to him while he was out in the darkness," said King Mickey. Ansem didn't say anything. King Mickey looked over at me. "Alex, didn't you have something you wanted to ask Ansem?"

"Oh yeah, Ansem I was wondering... were you the one who talked to me 1 year ago... After the Executioners destroyed Earth?" I asked.

"I knew it would be a matter of time before you brought that up," said Ansem. "Yes, I was talking to you. I was trying to guide you. I couldn't be more direct because I wanted to avoid being noticed by Organization XIII. I even corrupted that Executioner you created to hint that something was not right."

"So why did Organization XIII manipulate Luther?" I asked.

"They were looking for you... and Maria. They wanted to add new recruits to their Organization... to fill in the gaps after the Castle Oblivion incident. Where Sora killed several of their members. Riku took out one as well. After that they realized that they needed more members. That is when Vox came before them and said that he could help them find Maria. I do not know how Vox crossed over from the Eternal Sphere into the Realm of Darkness but somehow he gained the ability to go back and forth as he pleased. Organization XIII needed his help because they couldn't cross the barrier program that your father had created to protect the two children."

"My father really didn't want Organization XIII to find us, did he?" I asked. Ansem shook his head.

"No he didn't. So in order to obtain the two children, Vox and Organization XIII devised a plan to manipulate the company that had created the Eternal Sphere and bring about it's deletion. By deleting the Eternal Sphere the weak point of the barrier program would appear. All it would take is one attack and the barrier would be gone. Vox somehow knew that the Eternal Sphere would continue to exist even if it was deleted. So they manipulated Luther's fear of having his creations turn against him and that resulted in the creation of the Executioners. And I don't need to say anything more because you know what happens next."

"But why did Vox tell me to stay out of Organization XIII's way if they were looking for me?"

"That's because he didn't know that Organization XIII was looking for you," said a voice behind me. I turned around to see Raxiel standing nearby. "Whoever told him about Maria failed to mention you. Organization XIII also kept your name hidden."

"Raxiel? What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I came to help out. The final battle with Organization XIII is at hand. Of course I would come to lend a hand. I have a score to settle with them after all," said Raxiel.

"Raxiel, what did Organization XIII do to you? Who are you anyway?" I asked. Raxiel sighed.

"I guess it is time. I knew I couldn't keep this secret for long." Raxiel put a hand to his mask and slowly took it off and let it drop to the ground. I starred in shock and fell to the ground on my knees.

"I don't... believe it..." I said. "How...?" All of this time, and I never knew it. Raxiel is actually Luther. "Luther... you died..."

"Come on Alex, I thought you would catch on to my little act," said Luther as he lowered his hood.

"Your act?" I asked.

"What you saw on the day that I died was just an illusion. I had made a replica of my body and then programmed it to act like I was manipulated. You see, I caught on to what Organization XIII was planning while the Executioners were being developed. Then I just played along as if I really was manipulated. After I supposedly entered the Eternal Sphere I placed in my replica and I went into hiding. During the year that you were asleep I had met Ansem and I had discovered that I was the wielder of the Twilight Horizon. But I didn't want Organization XIII to know who I was, and so I changed my name and bought a voice scrambler so I could work in the shadows," explained Luther.

"Well you certainly fooled me," I said. "And to think you didn't even let me know what you were planning..."

"I didn't get a chance to." Ansem looked over at King Mickey.

"My friend, the time has come. I must make amends to these young people," said Ansem. Ansem picked up a large, strange device and then began to walk towards the door ahead with King Mickey close behind.

"Wait, Ansem," I said. He stopped and looked over at me. "What are you planning to do." He smiled and looked at the device he was holding.

"You'll see... you'll see. Now go, Alex. Your friends need your help," said Ansem. I nodded.

"Okay, I'll see both of you later," I said. I looked over at Luther. "Are you coming with me?" Luther shook his head.

"No, this is your battle. My battle has yet to come. I will accompany Ansem and the King. Besides, I think you can take care of things just fine," said Luther. I hesitated for a second and then acknowledged what he said.

"Alright, I'll be back up here shortly," I said. I ran down the path that I had just taken towards Sora. I bursted through the door to see Sora, Donald, and Goofy looking up at someone. I quickly ran over to them. "What's up?"

"Look!" Said Donald. I turned around to see on the edge above stood Xigbar. He was looking over at Sora.

"Oh, it sounds like you haven't. Sora! Roxas!" Said Xigbar. Sora looked at us confused.

"Roxas? Hey, did he just call me Roxas?" Asked Sora. Donald and Goofy nodded.

"That's what I heard too," I said.

"You've really put Organization XIII in a pickle. I guess that must be why the Keyblade chose you. But MAN, did it pick a dud this time. You don't look like you're half the hero the others were," said Xigbar.

"The others?" I asked. "You mean the Keyblade Wielders that came before?" Xigbar nodded.

"Yeah that's right. But I'm sure you know more about that than me. After all, you ARE one of them."

"Well I am a Keyblade Wielder but I don't know of..." Xigbar shook his head and folded his arms.

"No, no, that's not what I meant. I mean you are one of THEM, just look at the Dark Horizon and you'll see what I mean," said Xigbar.

"I don't understand, what is so special about the wielders of the Horizons?" I asked.

"Well..." Started Xigbar.

"Are you done rambling?" Asked Sora. Xigbar snorted.

"Rambling? As if! All I'm trying to tell you, traitor, is that your time is up!" Said Xigbar. There was a blast of purple light as Xigbar summoned his Katars.

"Here he comes!" Said Goofy. Xigbar jumped to the ground and got into a fighting stance. We pulled charged towards him in an attempt to attack him. Xigbar flipped into the air as we attempted to attack him. As he was in the air he shot a round of lasers at us.

"Whoa!" Said Donald as we all got out of harm's way. I jumped up into the air and attempted to hit Xigbar with the Dark Horizon but then he teleported away and began to shoot at me from a distance. I blocked the shots and landed on the ground safely. Donald unleashed several Firaga spells, Xigbar blocked them with his Katars and then charged towards us. While at close range he attempted to attack both Sora and I. I jumped to the side to avoid his attack and Sora raised up his Keyblade to parry the attack and launch a successful counterstrike. As Sora was fighting with Xigbar, Goofy charged in and hit Xigbar with his shield. Then I came from above and hit Xigbar in the side of the face with the Dark Horizon.

"Clever little sneak," said Xigbar as he teleported up into the air. Then he raised his Katars in the air and a bunch of lasers began shooting at us from every direction. I blocked several of them and then launched them at Xigbar. He smirked and raised his right hand. I gasped as I saw what was on his finger.

"A ring of disintegration?" I exclaimed.

"That's right," said Xigbar. The ring began to glow and the attacks that I had just sent back at Xigbar were nullified.

"How did you get that?" I demanded as I blocked several more lasers.

"We went into that Eternal Sphere universe and purchased them from that bunny guy living in the lava caves," explained Xigbar.

"_From Vanilla? Damn, these bastards sure know how to use what they find," _I said in my thoughts. Xigbar aimed his Katars and got ready to shoot at us again. Then Sora quickly rushed towards him. Xigbar attempted to fire several shots at Sora but all of them either missed or were deflected. Sora got within range and hit Xigbar with several attacks. Xigbar's weapons fell to the ground and he collapsed.

"Why did you call me Roxas?" Demanded Sora. Xigbar looked up and smirked.

"Wouldn't you like to know..." He stated. With that, Xigbar faded away into the darkness.

"Hey! Hold on!" Cried Sora in vain.

"Sora! It's Kairi!" Said Donald as he pointed to the upper level. Kairi was up there fighting Heartless along side of someone who looked a lot like Xehanort. Not quite sure why though, maybe Sora knows. Or wait... Ansem had said something about Riku changing his form. This must be what he was talking about. Sora turned his gaze to the upper level.

"Kairi, we're on our way," he said. We continued on through the door that I had just gone though, back up the pathway, and onto the upper level. We got there just in time to see that Kairi and the Xehanort-Lookalike had finished off the last few Heartless.

"Kairi, you were great," said Donald.

"Oh?" Asked Kairi as she turned around. She looked at Sora and then at the ground bashfully. Sora took a few steps closer to her.

"You are different, Kairi, but I'm just glad you're here!" He said.

"You and Riku never came home, so I came looking for you," said Kairi. Sora looked down at the ground.

"I'm sorry..." He said. Kairi rushed towards Sora without warning and hugged him. I couldn't see what expression was on Sora's face, but it was probably really priceless.

"This is real..." Said Kairi. Sora hugged Kairi back. After a few seconds they separated.

"I brought him here safely, just like I promised," I said. Kairi looked over at me and smiled.

"Thank you, Alex," she said. The Xehanort-lookalike opened a portal of darkness and was about to walk into it.

"Wait, Ansem! I mean, Xehanort's Heartless..." Said Sora. He stopped and looked over at Sora. "I never thought for a second that I'd ever see YOU again. Just thinking about all the things you did makes me really mad. But... But you saved Kairi, right? I have to be grateful for that... Thanks." So that guy is Xehanort's Heartless, that would explain why he looks like him. Xehanort's Heartless nods and began to walk away. Kairi ran over to him and grabbed his right arm.

"Riku, don't go!" Said Kairi.

"Huh?" Asked Donald and Goofy.

"Kairi, what did you just say?" Asked Sora. Kairi looked back at Sora.

"Riku," she repeated.

"I'm no one, just a castaway from the darkness," said Xehanort's Heartless angrily.

"Sora, come here. Say something to him." Sora walked over to them.

"Here. You'll understand," said Kairi. She took Sora's hand. "Close your eyes." There was silence and then all of a sudden, Sora dropped to the ground while holding Xehanort's Heartless' hand.

"Riku... It's Riku. Riku's here..." Said Sora. I could swear that I heard a few sobs here and there. "I looked for you!"

"C'mon, Sora. You've got to pull it together," said Riku.

"I looked everywhere for you!" Said Sora as he got up.

"I didn't want you to find me."

"But it was him that was helpin' us, wasn't it?" Asked Goofy.

"Huh?" Asked Donald.

"Those clues we kept finding. That musta been Riku," said Goofy.

"I was starting to worry you guys weren't ever gonna catch on. Sora never did pick the brightest friends," said Riku.

"What do you mean by that?" Asked Donald.

"Oh thanks," I said. Riku looked over at me.

"Thanks for looking out for Sora by the way. Seems like you did a good job," said Riku.

"Why didn't you let me know you were okay?" Asked Sora. Riku looked back over at his best friend.

"I told you. I didn't want to be found. Not like this..." He looked at his hand. "I couldn't. I fought with Ansem. With...Xehanort's Heartless---when it invaded my heart, and I won. But to use the power of darkness, I had to become Ansem myself."

"Does that mean...you can't change back?" Asked Kairi.

"This battle isn't over. And until it is, I still need the power of darkness."

"Then...let's finish it. You're still Riku, no matter what!" Said Sora. Donald, Goofy, Kairi, and I nodded in agreement. Sora turned around and looked at Donald, Goofy, and I. "So how 'bout it: Think we can handle one last rumble together? The King's waiting!"

"I was born ready," I said.

"Yeah! Let's get going!" Said Donald. We proceeded through the next door, towards the final battle with Organization XIII.

* * *

Meanwhile...

* * *

Fayt and the others looked around at the interior of this castle.

"Wow, this place is surreal as hell," said Cliff.

"Yeah, I can't believe that a castle like this actually exists," said Fayt.

"It's like something from a dream... or maybe a nightmare," said Sophia.

"It does have that feel to it," said Nel. They continued walking, deeper into Organization XIII's stronghold. Little did they know, that the one they were seeking was not too far away.

* * *

Sorry this chapter took so long. I just got kinda busy with other stuff. Yes, after all of this time, Fayt and Co will finally meet up with Alex in the next chapter. Anyway, please review. 


	24. Reunited at Last

Thank you those who reviewed! Here is the next chapter, sorry it took so long by the way.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean or Kingdom Hearts.

Chapter 24: Reunited at Last

* * *

Ansem, King Mickey, and Luther were standing at a balcony, looking up at Kingdom Hearts. Ansem took the strange device he was carrying and set it down.

"This spot should do," he said. Three sets of legs popped out from the bottom of the device and acted as a stand. Ansem began to set it up by typing in something and twisted knobs.

"What's this gadget for?" Asked King Mickey.

"It's a device to reclaim Kingdom Hearts and encode it as data," said Ansem as he continued to set up the device. King Mickey folded his arms and a confused look appeared on his face.

"Not sure I get it," he said. Luther took a step towards Ansem to get his attention.

"Are you out of your mind? There is no way that thing can handle converting a real object of such mass and complexity into data! You would need several cutting edge hard drives attached to that thing to pull this off!" Protested Luther. Ansem seemed to understand what Luther was saying.

"Like my friend here, I do not claim to know the outcome of this venture, either. After all..." Ansem paused and looked at King Mickey with a slight grin. "Hearts are unpredictable." Luther stepped back and didn't say anything else. He was still unsure that this would work but it wasn't his place to interfere here. Ansem aimed the device at the center of Kingdom Hearts and activated it. A small, but focused green beam of light shot out of the machine and began a steady approach to Kingdom Hearts. In a matter of seconds, it had made contact with the large moon.

* * *

Meanwhile, on one of the higher levels of Organization XIII's stronghold...

* * *

Maria stood at a balcony, just looking out at the pitch black sky mixed with crimson and azure clouds. Standing next to her was a young girl who was at least a teenager. She had somewhat long blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore a completely white dress.

"They are coming, slowly but surely," said the young girl. Maria nodded.

"Yes. But I doubt that the other members of Organization XIII will simply let them waltz around this far up," said Maria.

"But aren't you with the Organization?" Maria looked at the girl and nodded.

"Yes, Naminé. Well... I am supposed to be. But I have other reasons. I just used this opportunity to get to know my father more. All I can say is: He's an ass." Maria chuckled slightly at her comment. "Besides even after they get their hearts back, there is no knowing what they will do next. I don't want any part in that." Naminé glanced over at Maria.

"And what about Alex? You said that you would fight him, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did say that. I want to know how much stronger he has become ever since he obtained that weapon. You could say that I want to test him."

* * *

_Switching back to Sora and Co.

* * *

_

We walked into the next room. In this strange place was a bunch of stands and monuments that looked like graves. There were 12 in all, but the majority of them were broken. As if someone had gone and destroyed them. The floor under some of them were glowing red while a few were glowing blue. Coming out of the corners was this weird fog that was a mix of red, blue, and hints of purple. Two of the monuments were completely intact and one of them was transparent blue, as if it was some sort of portal.

"This place is like a graveyard," I said.

"Yeah it is," commented Kairi as she looked around.

"This is a room that leads to the private area of each Organization XIII member. You can tell their status by looking at floor at their perspective door," said Riku.

"And I guess that if it is red, than it means that those members are dead?" I asked.

"Seems like it."

"Gawrsh, this place is spooky," said Goofy.

"Looks like our only option is to go through that portal," said Sora as he pointed at the door that was labeled 'X'.

"I don't see any other path," said Donald. We walked into the portal and found ourselves at a large balcony. There was a clear view of Kingdom Hearts, but there was a green laser in contact with it.

"What's that?" Asked Sora.

"It's the King and DiZ---I mean, Ansem the Wise. They must be higher up. We better hurry," said Riku. Sora nodded and we were about to leave. Suddenly a portal of darkness appeared between us and Sora. There stood, Luxord, Number 10 of the Organization. Suddenly a bunch of cards appeared and surrounded everyone excluding Sora. I felt as if I had been thrown into something by an invisible force and next thing I knew, I was watching Sora and Luxord fight... while being trapped inside a card. In the end, Sora won that battle. Luxord faded into the darkness and we were set free.

"You okay?" Asked Kairi.

"Yeah! No worries. Let's keep moving," said Sora.

"You know, I'm impressed Sora. You've gotten stronger," said Riku. Sora looked up proudly.

"Well what do you expect? I wasn't just sitting around all this time." We headed back to the room with all the doors/grave markers. This time the other intact door was active.

"Hmm... shall we go inside?" I asked.

"Yes, but we should be careful. I can sense Saïx beyond this point. He's pretty powerful," said Riku.

"We can take him," said Sora.

"Yeah! He doesn't stand a chance!" Said Donald.

"Let's not jinx ourselves, okay?" I asked. We walked into the portal. Saïx was standing in this room and there was a clear view of Kingdom Hearts. He turned around to face us and smiled. He was holding a large sword that looked a lot like Maria's.

"Only you could have made it this far in one piece...Roxas," said Saïx.

"That's getting really old!" Exclaimed Sora.

"Roxas?" I asked as I looked over at Sora and then at Saïx. Did I miss something? Donald and Goofy got in front of Sora.

"Yeah, he's Sora!" Said Donald. Saix's sword changed it's shape and it became longer and far more fearsome looking. Not to mention it was probably more deadly now. The ends had spiked out more and now it looked exactly like the one Maria uses. I guess Maria inherited that ability from her father.

"Different name, same fate," said Saïx. He slashed his weapon and a gust of wind was created. Since I was busy pondering why Saïx had called Sora Roxas. I was caught off guard. As a result I was blown away and towards the entrance of the room. Riku and Kairi were blown back too. Then a barrier was formed and we could only watch Sora, Donald, and Goofy fight against Saïx. It seemed as if Saix drew power from Kingdom Hearts. He would go berserk and attack relentlessly. If Maria can fight like that then I will be in serious trouble if I have to fight her. It seemed as if Sora and the others were able to counter this by using that power too. Occasionally a glowing sword would appear and would cause anyone who touched them to go berserk like Saïx. After a long hard battle, Saïx dropped his sword and stumbled towards the window. He held his hand up to Kingdom Hearts. "Why... Kingdom Hearts... Where is my heart?" Asked Saïx. With that, he faded into the darkness. The barrier was de-spelled and the three of walked over to Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

"I don't get it. Why's everybody been calling me Roxas?" Asked Sora.

"Because, Sora. Roxas is your Nobody," said Riku.

"My...Nobody? But that's crazy, I never turned into a Heart... Oh, right." Said Sora.

"It was when you came to rescue me, remember?" Asked Kairi. I guess this was something that had happened on Sora's previous adventure 1 year ago. I seriously need to ask them about that because I get the feeling that I am missing something.

"Xemnas was the one who found Roxas. He could use the Keyblade because he was your Nobody. That's why Xemnas brought him into the Organization. But Roxas betrayed them. After that I fought him because I thought it would help you wake up. I lost, but the next time we met I made sure I was the stronger one. Maybe I didn't need to fight him after all. I think he left the Organization because...he really wanted to meet you," said Riku.

"Roxas... I wish I could meet him too," said Sora. Riku took a step forward and pointed at Sora's heart. Sora pointed at his own heart and looked at Riku. He simply nodded.

"All right, let's go," said Riku. They began to walk towards the exit.

* * *

_In the graveyard room...

* * *

_

Fayt and Co walked in and looked around. They were in a strange room that looked like a graveyard.

"What is this place?" Asked Sophia.

"Some sort of graveyard? No, it doesn't feel like that," said Fayt.

"Right, there's more to this place," said Cliff.

* * *

_Back in Saïx's room...

* * *

_

I took several steps towards the window and looked up at Kingdom Hearts. We needed to get moving right away. I got this feeling that King Mickey and Ansem would need help. The only way to find out would be to go up there ASAP.

"Alex, let's keep moving," said Sora. I turned around and nodded.

"Okay, I'm coming," I said. I was near the corridor that lead to the exit when suddenly a barrier shot up. "What the hell?" I asked.

"Wak!" Exclaimed Donald.

"What's going on?" Asked Sora.

"I'm glad you could make it, Alex," said Maria's voice. A portal of darkness appeared and she stood in front of me. "I knew you would come here."

"Let me guess, you are here for revenge?" I asked as I summoned the Dark Horizon. Maria shook her head.

"No, I'm not here to avenge my father. I am no longer working with Organization XIII. I was just using them to try and learn more about my past, but all I found was that my father was an ass and nothing about my mother," said Maria.

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I've come here to evaluate you. That and rendezvous with some individuals who are coming here even as we speak. Originally I thought that I should help my father and get you to join... before I found out that my father really was an ass. He never cared about me, he just wanted to use my powers to fulfil his desires. I wonder if he was always like that even before he became a Nobody..."

"Evaluate me?"

"It means she is going to test you," said the Dark Horizon.

"Yeah, I know that. But I don't know why she wants to though," I said.

"Ever since you got that keyblade you have become stronger. You have started to change. I want to see how powerful you have become," said Maria. She summoned her sword in a burst of light. "I trust you'll grant me the opportunity." I held out the Dark Horizon towards her.

"But of course, sounds like fun," I said. We rushed towards each other, ready to strike. All I had to remember was to watch out for the spikes on the end of her sword. That and whatever else she has got up her sleeves. We both attacked each other with an almost vertical slash. Our weapons clashed and then we quickly withdrew to attack again. Maria slashed at me with a horizontal slash, I blocked it and came down at her with a vertical slash. She flipped over my attack and landed on the Dark Horizon. Just as she was about to attack me again I held out my hand. "BLIZZAGA!" I shouted as I huge chunk of ice shot out of my hand. Maria got hit by the attack and was sent flying into a nearby wall. She quickly recovered and bounced off the wall towards me. She threw several Kunai all of a sudden at me. I blocked them and then she came down at me with her sword. I jumped into the air above her and threw the Dark Horizon down at her. It hit her unprotected back and she became unbalanced. She fell to the ground and got up. I landed on my feet and got ready for the next attack.

"You seem to have improved," said Maria. She pulled out her trademark gun and aimed it at me. "Let's see how you handle this!" Blue energy started focusing at the tip of the gun. "ENERGY BURST!" Suddenly a large blue beam shot out aimed at me. I raised my Keyblade.

"Maybe you should try dodging it," said the Dark Horizon in a tone of slight mockery.

"I know what I am doing," I said calmly. The Dark Horizon began to glow. At first a small beam of light appeared at the tip and then it quickly grew into a large sphere. The energy must have been really strong because I could feel the Dark Horizon vibrating. Then the energy shot towards Maria's Energy Burst in the form of white light. The two blasts collided and were stuck in a stalemate. I couldn't handle this for long, the intense power of the energy coming from the Dark Horizon was enough to send me flying if I made one mistake. On the other side, Maria faltered and the stalemate ended. The explosion sent both Maria and I flying. I crashed into the barrier and Maria crashed into the window. I slowly got up and almost fell back down again. It would take a minute or so before I recovered. Maria seemed to be coming around too.

"You really have become stronger. I must say that... I'm impressed," said Maria as she dismissed her weapon.

"Well with the way things are now I can't just sit around and do nothing, now can I?" I asked. Maria shook her head and began to walk towards me.

"You're right. This battle is far from over. We need all the strength we can get to take down Organization XIII and bring peace to this universe as well as mine," she said. She dismissed the barrier that blocked off the exit. "Will you lend a hand?" Asked Maria as she held out her hand. I simply nodded.

"You bet. I got involved in this battle, now it's time to end it," I said as I shook Maria's hand.

"Wait, Alex, are you..." Started Sora.

"Whoa, there are people here," said a familiar voice. I shot around and looked over at the entrance to this room. As I saw who they were I starred in shock.

"_It can't be..." _I said in my thoughts. But it is, it has to be. I didn't think for a second that I would ever see them again. But in a sense, I was relieved. If Maria had survived, surely the others did too. It was Fayt and the others. As they walked towards me I got a clearer view of them. They had barely changed at all. They were also accompanied by an older woman with short blue hair and a large shirtless man with gray hair and purple eyes.

"So... it's really true," said Sophia.

"I was skeptical at first, but now we HAVE to believe what Maria had told us," said Fayt.

"I... I..." I couldn't find words to say, all I knew was that I was happy. Suddenly the Majority of the group (the majority being the people I journeyed with last year and excluding Albel) rushed towards me and within a matter of seconds I was in a bone crushing group hug. It was one of those moments when I was so happy I could have cried... but my pride wouldn't allow it. It wouldn't do to break down right here and now.

"Heh, I'll give you points for surviving, fool," said Albel. I grinned as I was released from the group hug.

"I guess that's all I can expect to get from you," I said.

"Alex, who are these people?" Asked Sora.

"These are my old friends from my previous journey."

"Really?" Asked Sora.

"Hey, who are these guys?" Asked Fayt as he looked over at me.

"They're Sora, Donald, and Goofy. I've been journeying with them for awhile now," I said. In a minute or so the entire group introduced each other to Sora and the others (Donald, Goofy, Riku, and Kairi). Cliff looked over at Maria.

"And what are you doing here?" He asked.

"Oh don't worry about her, Cliff. She's not with Organization XIII anymore," I said.

"That's right," said Maria.

"Are you sure it's okay to trust her?" Asked Fayt.

"Yeah Alex, I agree with Fayt. Are you okay with this?" Asked Sora.

"She was... or may still be a member of Organization XIII, ya know," said Goofy. I looked over at Goofy.

"I know that. But even so, I believe her. With the upcoming battles, we will need all the help we can get," I said.

"Mmm... you've got a good point," said Donald.

"So how about it everyone? Why don't we join forces and take down Organization XIII?" Asked Sora as he held his hand his hand out.

"I'm in," said Donald as he put his hand on top of Sora's.

"Of course I'll help," said Goofy as he put his hand on top of Donald's.

"I've come this far with you guys, I'm not going to quit now," I said as I put my hand on top of Goofy's.

"I already planned to fight them anyway," said Maria as she put her hand on top of mine.

"Sounds like a plan," said Fayt as he put his hand on top of Maria's.

"For our Universe, and this one too," said Sophia as she put her hand on top of Fayt's.

"Well I've got a score to settle with those punks," said Cliff as he put his hand on top of Sophia's.

"I shall wield my blade in the name of peace," said Nel as she put her hand on top of Cliff's.

"Sure whatever, fools," said Albel as he put his hand on top of Nel's.

"Count me in," said Adray as he put his hand on top of Albel's.

"I'll do what I can," said Dr. Leingod as he put his hand on top of Adray's.

"Same here," said Mrs. Leingod as she put her hand on top of her husband's.

"I'm coming of course," said Riku as he put his hand on top of Mrs. Leingod's.

"And I am not being left behind this time," said Kairi as she put her hand on top of Riku's. After that, we moved on back to the grave room. Goofy looked up at the large door that says: "I".

"Look! That door has opened!" Said Goofy.

"Xemnas and Vox are ahead. We will need everything we've got to take them down," said Riku.

"And with all of us together, they won't stand a chance," said Sora.

"I like your attitude kid, but those guys are tough," said Cliff.

"It shouldn't be a problem. We were able to take down several members already," said Donald. Cliff whistled after hearing that. We continued walking up the path. There we saw King Mickey, Ansem, and Luther at the device.

"Your Majesty!" Shouted Sora. I looked at the machine and gasped, it was starting to short and there were sparks popping up all over the place. Not to mention it was trembling like someone who walks out in the middle of a blizzard without a coat on.

"Sora, the rest is up to you and your friends... And Roxas... I doubt you can hear me, but...I am sorry," said Ansem. It seemed that Luther standing there had finally sunk in to Fayt and the others.

"Luther? You're still alive?" Asked Fayt.

"Rather cliche phrase or trite if you prefer, but yes I am. Do not worry, I am on your side," he said. I ran over to Luther.

"Luther, what's going on? What's happening to that machine?" I asked.

"That device was supposed to convert Kingdom Hearts to data... as you can tell... it's not working as planned. It's only a matter of time before it self-destructs."

"Self-destructs?!" Exclaimed Sophia. I immediately turned my attention to Ansem.

"Ansem? Why are you still holding onto that thing? It's only a matter of time before it explodes. If you get caught in the explosion you'll..."

"I know, Alex. It's a shame that I did not have the time to talk to you more. There were many things I wished to discuss. Listen, even should Organization XIII fall, even should peace return to the worlds, there is no guarantee that it will last. My only request is that you do whatever you can to maintain that peace. To stop needless tragedy and death like when those Executioner's attacked. Understand?" Asked Ansem. I nodded.

"I understand. But even so..."

"Ansem!" Exclaimed King Mickey.

"My heart is telling me what I must do. Please allow me to do what it says!" Exclaimed Ansem.

"No!" Riku rushed forward and grabbed King Mickey's arm. "Riku!"

"His heart's decided. We can't change that," said Riku. Suddenly a portal of Darkness appeared. As the darkness faded, Xemnas stood there.

"I was wondering who would dare interfere with my Kingdom Hearts. And look... here you all are. How convenient for me," said Xemnas.

"You..." Said Fayt. Xemnas looked over at us and smiled.

"Well, what do you know? Those weak fools from the Eternal Sphere have come."

"You son of a..." Started Cliff through clenched teeth. Xemnas sneered and looked over at Ansem.

"Ansem the Wise... You look pathetic."

"Have your laugh. I deserve as much for failing to see you for the fool you are," said Ansem.

"Students do take after their teachers. Only a fool would be your apprentice. After all, none of this would have happened without you. YOU are the source of all Heartless. It was your research that inspired me to go further than you ever dared." Ansem nodded in acknowledgment, almost as if in shame.

"I admit...my disregard brought chaos to more worlds than one..." Started Ansem. He clenched his teeth in anger. "But what were YOU seeking? You erased me from the world, only to take my name and continue research better left forgotten... Is this the answer you've been looking for?"

"All that and more. I'm carrying on what you yourself began, and I'm creating a brand new world, one heart at a time. I thought you'd praise me, but all you ever do is hold me back. I understand, though. Unlike me, you have a heart. And you're powerless to control it. Consumed, by the jealousy you feel toward the student who surpassed you," said Xemnas with an over-dramatic face and strange hand movements.

"Xehanort. Foolish apprentice of a foolish man. You have surpassed nothing, only proved how little we both know. We may profess to know the heart, but its essence is beyond our reach. We're both ignorant, as oblivious as when we began. I'm afraid that any world you try to create... Any world of yours...would be an empire of ignorance. That is why you and your creation are destined to fall!" Said Ansem. The sparks coming from the machine got bigger and brighter.

"We've said enough!" Ansem looked over at Riku. "Riku, you know what to do!" Riku nodded in response, then Ansem looked over at King Mickey. " King Mickey, my friend, forgive me!" And finally he looked over at me. "Alex, fight for what you believe is right. Do what your heart commands. Even if you should one day find yourself in a similar situation as mine, you will be able to face it without regrets." He looked at the glowing machine. "Farewell!"

"Damn!" Exclaimed Xemnas as he teleported away. Sora tried to run towards Ansem but was stopped by Riku. Kairi held King Mickey back as he was screaming Ansem's name. Fayt and the others just starred in shock and horror. I tried to run towards Ansem but Luther held his left arm in front of me.

"Luther!" I said.

"We can't intervene, Alex. If you get to close to that you'll be killed too!" Said Luther. Before I could respond the machine exploded in a burst of white light that shot up in a pillar towards the sky. The massive blast sent us all flying to the floor. Before the light got too bright to look at, I saw Kingdom Hearts pulse and countless Hearts started bursting out of it and began to fall to the ground. As I opened my eyes again and got up I saw no trace of the machine or Ansem. Everyone else slowly got up too.

"Everyone alright?" I asked. I got a various mix of groans and people getting up. Sora looked over at where Riku was, he still hadn't gotten up yet... but he looked different.

"Riku?" Asked Sora. Riku slowly got up. He now had light, long silver hair and it appeared that he was wearing a blindfold.

"You've... changed..." I said.

"Wow!" Said Donald and Goofy.

"Riku!" Said Kairi.

"Ansem did say "anything could happen"..." Said King Mickey. Sora looked back over at Riku.

"Riku, you gonna take that off?" Asked Sora. Riku seemed to remember that he was wearing a blindfold. How you could forget something like that I have no idea.

"Oh," commented Riku in a not surprised tone. He took off his blindfold to reveal his azure blue eyes.

"What was that?" Asked Sora.

"His eyes couldn't lie," explained King Mickey.

"Lie? And just who were you trying to fool? Huh? Huhhh?" Demanded Sora.

"Myself," said Riku simply.

"Riku... C'mon, man! Why did you try to do so much on your own?" Sora ran over to King Mickey, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, Luther, and I. "You got friends...like us!" Riku looked at all of us.

"Have you forgotten? I'll tell you why. 'Cause I'm not a total sap like you." Riku smirked at Sora. I couldn't help but chuckle at Riku's comment.

"Say that again!" Said Sora.

"Look! Something has happened to that strange moon!" Said Nel.

"What happened?" Asked Sophia.

"Apparently, the damage caused by that gadget Ansem was using," said King Mickey.

"And it looks like Xemnas is trying to repair it now," added Luther as he looked at the hearts that were slowly raising back up to Kingdom Hearts.

"That's the least of our problems," I said. I pointed down at the lower levels of the fortress. "Look." Everyone looked over the edge.

"You've got to be kidding," complained Maria.

"Uhhhh-oh," said Donald. Sora looked over at Riku.

"What should we do Riku?" He asked.

"We must defeat Xemnas and Vox! They are all that remain of the Organization."

"Right!" Said Sora.

"If we can take them out it's over," said Fayt.

"Your right, this upcoming battle is a critical one," said King Mickey. In a flash, Riku swept off his Organization XIII outfit and was now in a pair of blue jeans, and a white shirt with streaks of yellow on the sides, edges, and at the bottom.

"Alright, that's better. I'd rather not remain in the attire of the enemy," said Riku.

"Good idea," said Sora.

"C'mon, let's go." We continued walking, towards Xemnas, towards Vox, towards the final confrontation.

* * *

So it all comes down to this next chapter. Who will win in the end? Will Organization XIII triumph? Or will our heroes break through and attain peace? Find out in the next chapter. Anyway, please review! 


	25. The Final Showdown

Thank you all who reviewed! Here is the second to last chapter, enjoy! But first...

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean, Kingdom Hearts, or Xenosaga.

* * *

Chapter 25: The Final Showdown

We continued walking towards the top of the fortress. The next room was a large blue-ish room filled with that strange fog that seemed to be pouring out of this place and had littered the floor in the area we were just in. And oddly enough, the passage way to the top of the tower was invisible... that is until you stepped on it. We found out quickly that each step would reveal a piece of a glowing bridge that swerved around the room like a snake until it finally reached a staircase on the center platform in the room. As we were about to head up it, we heard Kairi's voice.

"Sora! Riku!" She exclaimed. They stopped and turned around to look out of her. And out of curiosity, the rest of us did the same. We looked up at the windows where Kairi was pointing.

"Just great," said Fayt. There were swarms of heartless literally pouring down the windows at the far edge of this room. They began to crawl up the path towards us like a creeping shadow.

"There's gonna be no end to this," said Riku.

"Together we can stop 'em!" Said Sora as he summoned his Keyblade.

"Man, we have to fight THIS many?" I asked.

"There is no way we will be able to handle that many," said Maria.

"Am I the only one here who thinks POSITIVE?" Exclaimed Sora as he threw his hands up into the air. Suddenly a strange portal of black fire appeared and when it faded away Pete and Maleficent were standing there. Now THESE were a few faces that I hadn't seen in a while. I was wondering where they had gone.

"Be gone from here! Leave these creatures to us!" Said Maleficent. Pete looked at Maleficent as if she had grown another head.

"But there's no way we can take 'em all!" He exclaimed. Maleficent turned her head towards Pete.

"I will be sending them after Xemnas. Or, perhaps, you would rather fight them yourself?" Pete seemed to think about the matter.

"Frankly my dear, I'd rather... RUN!" Exclaimed Pete.

"Off with you then." Said Maleficent simply. Pete began to back away when he turned around and looked directly at King Mickey.

"Well, if it ain't the boat-boy King," he said.

"Time to weigh anchor, Captain Pete!" Commented King Mickey.

"What, like "abandon ship"? I don't think so!" Exclaimed Pete as if he had gained a new level of courage. I guess he didn't want to look bad in front of his 'nemesis'.

"Sora! "Your Majesty"! Do not forget; when I've destroyed them all, this castle shall be mine!" Exclaimed Maleficent.

"Now lookie here. Opportunities like this don't come along every day, ya know," said Pete as he turned back around and rejoined Maleficent. "Bring 'em on!" Shouted Pete ad the two of them ran towards the Heartless.

"We gotta hurry," said King Mickey.

"But..." Protested Sora.

"They're doing what their hearts command. We can't interfere."

We quickly rushed up the stairs and up to the altar at the top. The sky above was pitch black and the lower parts of the fortress were surrounded by those dark clouds. There stood Xemnas and Vox just ahead of us. Xemnas held his hands up towards Kingdom Hearts and his back was turned on us. Vox didn't seem to notice us yet either.

"Ohh...my Kingdom Hearts...ruined. Now I'll have to start all over again," said Xemnas.

"It is unfortunate, but it is the only choice we have," said Vox. Xemnas nodded.

"Warriors of the Keyblade!" Xemnas said suddenly. I was taken by surprise somewhat, and here I thought that he didn't know that we were there yet. He lowered his arms and turned around to face us. "Go forth, and bring me more hearts!"

"NO!" Shouted Sora, Riku, King Mickey, Luther, and I. We all stepped forward and summoned our Keyblades.

"So much for that approach," said Vox. Xemnas looked over at Vox as if he was an idiot.

"Do you want to search the entire universe for another Keyblade Warrior?" Vox quickly went silent. Xemnas looked back at us. "Denizens of light, answer this: Why do you hate the darkness?"

"Aw, we don't hate it. It's just kinda...scary. But the world's made of light AND darkness. You can't have one without the other, 'cause darkness is half of everything. Sorta makes ya wonder why we are scared of the dark," said King Mickey.

"It's because of who's lurking inside it," added Riku simply.

"Yeah, that's why people are afraid of the dark," I commented.

"Then allow me another question. You accept darkness, yet choose to live in the light. So why is it that you loathe us who teeter on the edge of nothing? We who were turned away by both light and dark... never given a choice?" Asked Xemnas.

"That's simple. It's because you mess up our worlds," said Riku.

"And the countless lives lost because of your actions!" Exclaimed Fayt.

"That may be... However, what other choice might we have had?" Asked Xemnas as he started acting all sad and depressed. Not to mention a bit over dramatic.

"Just give it a rest! You're Nobodies! You don't even exist! You're not sad about anything!" Exclaimed Sora. I flinched slightly at that comment. Xemnas noticed this and started chuckling.

"I see your incomplete heart takes offense to that, Alex," sneered Xemnas. Sora looked over at me.

"You are right for once, I am incomplete. And what Sora is saying is right: We Nobodies don't exist. But even so... I would never use that as a reason to hurt and or kill people for my selfish desires," I said. Xemnas started chuckling.

"You are correct Sora, you don't miss a thing. I can not feel sorrow... No matter what misery befalls the worlds. No matter what you think, what you feel, or how you exist." He threw his hands up and a burst of energy appeared. When the light faded, Sora and Xemnas were gone.

"What just happened?" I asked.

"Xemnas is going to deal with that kid," said Vox. He summoned his spear. "In the meantime... I am going to take care of all of you!" Luther and I stepped forward and looked back at the others.

"Leave him to the two of us!" Said Luther.

"Yeah, we have a score to settle with him," I said.

"Alright, but if things get bad we will back you up," said King Mickey. I nodded.

"Thanks." Luther and I ran towards Vox. We both attacked him at the same time but he blocked it with his spear. He brought the spear around and slashed at us. I ducked and Luther jumped into the air to avoid it. But he failed to notice Vox's sneak attack. Vox quickly jabbed the back side of the spear at Luther, sending him flying back past the edge of the fortress.

"Luther!" I exclaimed. Luther suddenly flipped in mid-air and a pair of red energy wings that looked like hands appeared. He flew towards Vox.

"Wallow in despair!" Shouted Luther as he unleashed his Dividing Flame attack. Vox was hit by the attack and thrown back a little bit.

"He's certainly more powerful than you," said the Dark Horizon.

"Thanks for the support," I muttered. I quickly rushed towards Vox while he was disoriented. I slashed at him several times with the Dark Horizon. Each attack hit it's target and Vox took a bit of damage.

"You two have gotten stronger, this will be a good fight," said Vox. Suddenly a dragon Nobody appeared and Vox jumped onto it. Luther looked down at me from the sky.

"I'll get him back down to earth! Then we'll deal with him together," said Luther.

"Alright, I'll provide support!" I said. Luther began a dog fight with Vox. While Vox was limited with movement, Luther could pull off any maneuver that he pleased. I distracted Vox by shooting a flare spell at him. Then Luther came in and sliced off the head of the Dragon Nobody. Vox came falling down to the ground. I looked up at Luther and nodded. "Luther!"

"You got it!" He flew down and his wings disappeared. We clashed our Keyblades together and began to ran towards Vox. We hit him with our double attack. Then we started spinning around him and attacking at him from several angles using each other for supports like flipping over Vox and dealing more damage. Final we came around and hit him with a 'x' strike. We both flipped away from him and he collapsed to the ground. His spear disappeared and he collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. He began to fade away into darkness.

"Do... you... think this is... over?" He asked with a sneer on his face. With that he faded away. Luther and I let out a sigh.

"That takes care of that," I said.

"Yeah," said Luther as we clashed Keyblades together in celebration.

"Bah, I am tired of missing out on all the fights," complained Albel.

"And Sora is not back yet," I said as I looked around.

"Sora, where are you?" Shouted Kairi.

"Sora! Answer me!" Shouted Riku. Suddenly a distortion appeared in the air and Sora dropped out of it. He slowly got up and looked around at all of us.

"You're okay!" Said King Mickey.

"Where's Xemnas?" Asked Sora. We all began to look around.

"What?" Exclaimed Donald. He pointed up towards the ruined Kingdom Hearts.

"When did he get there?" Asked Cliff. Sure enough, Xemnas was floating right in front of Kingdom Hearts. Yet his voice was booming out like an announcement on a PA system.

"Hear me, Kingdom Hearts! It seems we must begin anew. Ah, but know this: I will give to you as many hearts as it takes. Mark my words! You can no more be complete without me than I without you. Heed me, Kingdom Hearts! Lend me your power, so that we may be complete! The power to erase the fools that hinder us," said Xemnas.

"Xemnas, no!" Shouted King Mickey in vain.

"Hearts quivering with hatred..." Continued Xemnas.

"Xemnas, don't!" Shouted Sora.

"Hearts burning with rage..."

"You'll never win!" Shouted Donald.

"Hearts scarred by envy... That fool Ansem said the heart's true nature was beyond his understanding. But it's not beyond mine! Hearts are the source of all power!" As Xemnas finished his statement, Kingdom Hearts started glowing brightly... well even more brightly than it already was. The inner pinkish purple part was no longer visible and the rings surrounding it were spinning faster. When the light faded Xemnas was gone.

"Dammit, he got away," said Luther.

"I can't believe he just ran away," groaned Cliff.

"Xemnas! You can't hide from us!" Shouted Sora.

"We're not gonna let him get away now!" Said King Mickey. Kairi pointed towards the moon.

"Look at that!" She said. In a bright burst of light a large, dark blue door appeared. It was decorated with Nobody symbols.

"What's goin' on?" Asked Goofy.

"Kingdom Hearts..." Said King Mickey.

"That door... it looks a lot like the door on Elicoor II that leads to Twilight Town," said Dr. Leingod.

"You know, it sort of does look like it," said Fayt.

"Let's go. Xemnas must be inside." Said Riku.

"The worlds gave us this doorway. They want us to be the guardians of their destiny!" Added King Mickey.

"Once we go through, there's no turning back. It's victory...or oblivion. So, Sora...are you ready?" Asked Riku as he looked over at his friend. Sora, Riku, King Mickey, Luther, and I all put our keyblades in front of us and brought them together. Swirls of energy spun around the ends of our Keyblades' and we aimed the silver laser up into the air. The door slowly began to open and a path made of light appeared, leading up to the door. We lowered our Keyblades.

"Get ready, Xemnas! It all ends here!" Said Sora.

"I think that maggot deserves some payback," said Albel almost excitedly. We walked in and found ourselves in a twisted version of the dark city, seriously it somehow looked far more twisted and dark... if that's possible. Out in the distance was a large floating fortress. We couldn't see where he was, but we heard Xemnas' voice, echoing in this dark place.

"So...it seems your hearts have led you to obliteration. Perhaps it doesn't pay to be too loyal to one's heart. I will have to be sure and remember that," he said. Suddenly a large building came out of nowhere and down towards us.

"Buildings? That's a bit unfair!" Exclaimed Maria. As it collided, the majority of our group had stumbled outside the door, and then it closed. Riku reached towards the door.

"No!" He exclaimed. But he was too late. The door had closed already. Now the only ones here were Sora, Donald, Goofy, Riku, Fayt, Albel, and I.

"We can take him on our own!" Exclaimed Sora.

"This is nuts..." Said the Dark Horizon.

"I think you mean fun," said Albel as he drew his sword.

"That's Albel for you," said Fayt as we began to run towards the fortress in the distance. Suddenly a bunch of buildings began to pop up trying to block our path. We worked together and cut open a path towards Xemnas.

"This is the first time I have ever fought a building..." Said Albel as we were running.

"During my travels in this universe I have learned one thing: Anything goes!" I said. Now it wasn't just buildings from the ground, but from the air as well.

"STOP THROWING BUILDINGS!" Exclaimed Donald.

"Gawrsh, Donald, I don't think he's listenin'," commented Goofy. As we neared the fortress things got a little more... interesting (for lack of a better word). Without warning, the ground we were standing suddenly shot up into the air. That was when we realized we could use this to our advantage. By using the buildings as stepping stones we could get up to Xemnas quickly... not to mention it would make our lives easier. We jumped up several blocks and slashed through any that got in the way. I ran along the flat side of a building and slashed through a random chunk of rock that was floating around. Finally we came to a point where we could see the fortress very well. At the bottom sides of the ship were two engine like rooms.

"Let's take those things out first," said Sora.

"That would probably be a good idea," commented Fayt. With haste, we jumped from the floating building we were standing on. We landed inside one of the engines. At the backside of this strange room was a strange glowing core behind a metal grate. Whatever it was it looked extremely dangerous. A bunch of particles began to charge near the core. "Somehow I don't think that this is an engine room anymore," said Fayt.

"What do you think it is?" I asked.

"I'll check," said Fayt as he pulled out his Quad Scanner. Suddenly a bunch of small flying Nobodies appeared. We started fighting them while Fayt continued to scan this place. Oddly enough the enemies we defeated went flying straight towards the core. As if it was doing some sort of damage to it. "You've got to be kidding," said Fayt as he lowered his scanner.

"What is this place?" Asked Riku.

"This thing is a laser weapon." Said Fayt rather calmly. There was a long, silent pause.

"Oh hell," I said.

"But it looks like we can destroy this thing by knocking something into the core."

"How 'bout those annoyin' Nobodies?" Asked Donald.

"Well it could work," said Sora as he knocked a Nobody towards the core. Not wanting to get vaporized, we all started hitting the Nobodies towards the core. Soon the core started exploding.

"Let's get out of here. I'd rather not stick around in an exploding... whatever this thing is," said Albel.

"You're right," Said Riku as we began to jump towards the metal grate and sling shot over to the other side. As we got to the other side, the weapon we were just in exploded and fell off of the massive flying structure. On the other side we repeated the same process to destroy it but this time we went further up and found an alcove where there was a large Nobody symbol.

"What now?" I asked.

"Maybe we should try hitting the Nobody symbol a few times and see what happens," suggested Sora.

"Well I don't have any better ideas, let's try it," said Riku with a shrug. We began slashing at the Nobody symbol and then all of a sudden it began to glow red. Next thing we knew it, we were inside a strange room. In front of us was Xemnas, dressed in silver armor with the Nobody symbol displayed proudly on it. He was holding a massive pike.

"Cursed fools!" Exclaimed Xemnas in a strange voice. We charged towards him and started fighting him. He moved his pike up a little bit and he slashed at us horizontally. The problem is that he has a lot of range so we could either duck, jump to the side, or try to jump over it. Goofy, Fayt, and Riku were thrown back by a barrier might of blue energy. Sora, Albel, and I attacked at close range and Donald unleashed several spells. Sora and I got thrown back a little bit by a sudden water attack and Albel blocked as Xemnas attempted to attack him with his spear. We regrouped and eventually defeated Xemnas. We ended up back at the Altar at the top of Organization XIII's castle. Xemnas was on the ground, breathing heavily.

"I need...more rage.. I need more...hearts..." Groaned Xemnas.

"Xemnas. There's more to a heart than just anger or hate. It's full of all kinds of feelings. Don't you remember?" Asked Sora. Painfully, Xemnas raised his head and looked up at Sora. He just simply smirked.

"Unfortunately...I don't." He said as he faded into the darkness.

"That takes care of that," said Cliff. We were all relieved and began to celebrate our victory.

"Gosh, you all did great!" Said King Mickey. Riku turned around and looked out at the sky.

"You're coming back with us, right?" Asked Sora as he looked over at Riku.

"I had given in to the darkness," said Riku.

"Riku!" Riku turned around and looked at Sora.

"How'm I gonna face everyone?" He asked.

"Like this!" Said Sora as he made a strange face. Riku started laughing at his friend's antics. Suddenly the ground started shaking.

"What's happening?" Asked Nel.

"Hurry!" Said King Mickey. Riku raised his hand.

"I'll open a path!" He said. But nothing happened at all. "Huh?" He asked as he looked at his hand.

"You don't belong in the dark realm anymore, Riku," explained King Mickey.

"How do we get out of here, Your Majesty?" Asked Donald.

"I'll take care of this," I said as I began to raise my hand. Suddenly a portal of Darkness appeared. One that I myself hadn't brought up. Almost amused, I shook my head and lowered my hand. "So much for that." King Mickey and Donald ran towards the portal of darkness.

"Who did this?" Asked Donald.

"Well, I'm not sure. But we'd better hurry and get through," said King Mickey. Suddenly a yellow dog appeared out of nowhere and started barking. He seemed to like King Mickey because he was circling around him and wagging his tail rapidly. The dog ran into the portal of darkness.

"Wait for me!" Exclaimed Goofy as he ran into the portal of Darkness followed by King Mickey. Donald ran in shortly afterwards followed by Fayt and Co. Just as I was about to walk towards it I began to get enveloped by another portal of darkness.

"Alex!" Exclaimed Sora.

"Don't worry about me! Just go!" I exclaimed. I doubt that they heard all that much. Because by the time I had started that sentence the darkness had completely encircled me. When the darkness faded I was now on a field of flowers. The strangest thing about this place was the absence of color... minus the fact that the entire place was almost white and everything else was just light brown, gray outlines of the various objects like flowers. And it looked as if flower petals were floating into the air like snow going up instead of going down. I looked in front of me to see Vox. I clenched my teeth and summoned the Dark Horizon.

"You're still alive I see," I said. Vox sneered.

"Hah. Did you really think that I would die after a small fight like that?" Asked Vox.

"No I suppose not. It takes a lot to kill a cockroach," I said.

"Tell me, do you recognize this place?" Asked Vox.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"Do your memories tell you that you have been here?" Asked Vox.

"Like I said... what's..."

"This place... it feels familiar somehow. As if I have been here before," said the Dark Horizon.

"You have?" I asked as I looked down at the Dark Horizon.

"That's just it... I can't remember..."

"Hmm... I wonder who is stronger, you... or him?" Asked Vox.

"Who are you talking about?" I asked.

"The one who once wielded that Keyblade of yours. This is a memory of the place where that wielder died... 6,000 years ago." I got ready to fight.

"Like I care! He lived thousands of years ago, why are you telling me this?" I asked.

"You really are dense," said Vox. "A great evil died here. Reuel, the Wielder. And now, another evil shall die here today. You are more dangerous than you realize. If only you knew just how much power you have sleeping deep inside you."

"_The wielder of what?" _I asked in my thoughts. "I think you've got it reversed. YOU are the enemy." Vox laughed.

"You are a fool, I shall wipe your existence out right here, right now!" Said Vox he began to glow. When the light faded Vox now had two large silver arms sticking out of his back with giant claws sticking out of the end of it's hands. Vox now wore black armor with a silver Nobody symbol in the center of the breast plate. He now held a large, double bladed spear. This thing could be well over 10 feet in length. "You don't stand a chance!" Said Vox. I got ready to charge.

"Bring it! I'm going to destroy you!" I shouted. I charged towards Vox. His two large arms started swinging at me. I jumped to side to avoid the first attack and then I ducked to avoid the next one. I blocked the right claw and flipped over the two arms. I struck Vox several times with the Dark Horizon and before I could launch another attack, Vox's two extra arms were already beginning to home in towards me. I jumped to the side and Vox's extra arms returned to their back position. Vox charged towards me. I dodged to the side as he jabbed at me with his spear. I blocked the next attack and then ducked as he flipped over me. I spun around to block the attempt at a surprise attack. Then I ducked as Vox shot his extra arms towards me. I came in under his guard and hit him straight in the jaw with an uppercut. I jumped up and used one of his flailing extra hands as a booster and I came down at Vox from the air with a falling slash. Vox tried to slash at me with the other side of his spear. I stepped down on the hilt and locked it in place. Quickly, I spun around and kicked Vox in the gut with my right leg. And as he landed I used him as a platform and I jumped up and then back down onto the ground. Vox slowly got up. He charged towards me. I jumped to the side and slashed off one of his extra arms. He jumped into the air and spun around like a tornado in the air with his double bladed spear out front. I jumped to the side, blocked the attack, and slashed off the other arm as I glided by. Vox stumbled to the ground. He was breathing heavily.

"You have gotten strong, truly strong," said Vox. He got his spear ready. "But, I will not be taken down so easily."

"We'll see about that," I said. We charged towards each other. Vox almost hit me with his spear. I blocked it and then slashed it in half. Then I took this time to hit Vox several times with my Keyblade. He began to stumble back. I charged towards him with my Keyblade. I held my Keyblade back and shot it towards Vox's unprotected body. The Keyblade impaled him and sent him down to the ground. He looked up at me and coughed up blood.

"You might have won... but... as long as... that thing... exists... I shall always... have a chance... to fight you... again..." Said Vox. He coughed up blood again and then went limp.

"That... thing? What are you talking about?" I asked. There was no response. And Vox faded into the darkness. I let out a sigh of relief and pulled the Dark Horizon out of the ground.

"You have improved a lot since we first met," said the Dark Horizon.

"Well, what do you expect? I have gotten a boat load of experience fighting against all those Heartless and Nobodies," I said.

"True, but you are nowhere near the level that Reuel was at when he wielded me."

"Reuel? You know this guy?" I asked.

"Well of course. I finally remembered that the name of my wielder was Reuel. He was about your age actually, maybe even younger."

"Really? What else do you know about him?" I asked.

"That's all I remember. It was so long ago, and my memory seems to have been fragmented for some reason."

"Well that..." I stopped dead as I picked up a scent.

"What is it, Alex?" Asked the Dark Horizon.

"We're not alone," I said.

"Who is it?" After smelling the scent for a little while longer I finally realized something.

"Whoever it is, they aren't an enemy. They smell strongly of light, and something else... I can't quite put my finger on it though," I said. "It's coming from..." I went silent as I saw the owner of the scent. In the distance was a woman with long hair, that was all I could notice about her. It was probably because she was so far away and the blank white obscuring many details. She seemed to have noticed me and was slowly beginning to walk towards me. "Who are you?" I called out. There was no response.

"Is that... no it couldn't be..." Said the Dark Horizon.

"You know her?" I asked.

"I thought I did... but that can't be. It's just not possible." Just when the woman got close enough there was a bright flash of light. As I was engulfed in the light, I could hear a soft voice.

"_Goodbye... till the day we meet once again..." _As the light faded I found myself at a familiar place.

"This place again..." I said as I looked around. I was back on that dark beach from one year ago. Though I was surprised to see that I now I had company here. Sitting at the water's edge was Sora and Riku.

"Alex? When did you get here?" Asked Riku.

"Well..." I explained what happened after I had been engulfed by the darkness. In turn, Sora and Riku explained what I had missed.

"So you took Xemnas down for good?" I asked.

"I hope so," said Sora.

"He didn't go down easy, that's for sure," said Riku. For a few seconds we didn't say anything. Riku then handed Sora a letter. "Sora? I think it's for you." Sora took the letter.

"When did you get that?" I asked.

"Just a few seconds ago," said Riku simply. Sora began to read the letter.

"Thinking of you, wherever you are," read Sora. "We pray for our sorrows to end, and hope that our hearts will blend. Now I will step forward to realize this wish. And who knows: Starting a new journey may not be so hard or maybe it has already begun. There are many worlds, but they share the same sky---one sky, one destiny. -Kairi" Suddenly there was a burst of light that formed into a door.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Light..." Commented Riku.

"The door to light..." Said Sora. Sora stood up and held his hand to Riku. "We'll go together!" Riku nodded.

"Yeah." He nodded. Sora looked over at me.

"You're coming with us, right?" He asked. I smirked and nodded.

"Of course. I have been here for a year, I don't intend to spend that much time or more here ever again!" I said in an amused tone. Riku got up and the three of us walked into the door to light. In a bright flash of light we were suddenly falling down with a beautiful sunset in the background. We landed in the ocean and quickly resurfaced.

"Sora! Riku!" Shouted Kairi. The three of us looked ahead to see Kairi standing on the shore of a small island. Behind her was a large structure that made this place look like a play place from a playground. On this island was everyone else too. Fayt and Co, Luther, Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey. We began to swim towards the island, as we arrived in shallow water Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey began to run towards us. Donald and Goofy grabbed Sora in a big hug and he fell over. King Mickey jumped at Riku and he hugged him, but due to size difference, Riku didn't fall down. I started to chuckle at Sora's little fall. Suddenly Donald grabbed me by the collar of my Organization XIII outfit and pulled me down.

"You get down here!" Exclaimed Donald. Sora looked up as Kairi was giggling at this little event. Sora held out a star shaped Keychain. Then for a brief moment I swear that I could see Roxas sitting where Sora is and a girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes with a white dress standing where Kairi is... I must be going crazy.

"W-We're back," said Sora.

"You're home," said Kairi with a smile. She reached out and took Sora's hand with the Keychain, cupping it. Kairi took the keychain and she helped Sora up. Donald and Goofy got up too, followed by me.

"So, it's finally over?" I asked.

"Looks like it," said King Mickey. I looked down at the ground and sighed.

"In a sense I am relieved, and yet I am sad because it means our journey is over. And I had fun traveling with those clowns," I said.

"Who are you calling a clown?" Asked Sora.

"Yeah, you shouldn't be talking!" Said Donald.

"A-hyuck. That's right. You're hangin' out with us, that makes you a clown too," said Goofy. I nodded.

"Hmm... you've got a good point Goofy," I said.

"You fit in with them perfectly Alex, you aren't all that bright either," said Maria with a grin.

"Must you?" I asked in a whinny, pathetic voice... or an attempt at it at least.

"Just like old times," said Fayt.

"Well in any case, we can't celebrate yet," said Dr. Leingod. We all looked over at him.

"Why not?" Asked Sora.

"Our universe is still in danger, we have to find a way to close off that door that leads to this universe," said Sophia.

"Where is this door?" Asked Riku.

"Hey, look at that," said Mrs. Leingod as she pointed towards the shore line. There were sparkles of light slowly glittering down and then a large door formed.

"That's... the door from the Urssa Cave Temple!" Exclaimed Nel.

"Any idea as to how to close it?" I asked. Luther stepped forward.

"Four Keys to seal the door. One that walks in the light, one that ventured in the darkness, one who walks the path to dawn, and the and he who walks between light and dark," recited Luther.

"That's what the message said on the door," explained Adray.

"How did you know about it?" Asked Fayt.

"I have my ways," said Luther.

"Keys... do you think it refers to the Keyblades?" Asked Kairi.

"Now that I think about it... you're right," said Maria.

"Four Keyblades... Light, Dark, Dawn, and Between Light and Dark..." I repeated.

"Hm... Sora uses a Keyblade from the realm of light... I found my Keyblade in the Realm of Darkness... Riku's Keyblade is known as the Road to Dawn... and the last one..." Said King Mickey as he counted his finger as he mentioned the wielders of the Keyblades.

"Between light and dark, a nobody. The last one... is you Alex," said Luther.

"Me? Well that makes sense I guess," I said.

"So we just have to seal this door, right?" Asked Sora.

"Yes, but first it might be better if we used that door to go back to our world," said Fayt.

"He's right, I'm afraid it's time to say goodbye," said Maria as she looked down at the ground. I took a step towards Fayt and the others.

"Afraid so, but I'm glad that I got to see you guys again," I said.

"What? You guys can't stay for a little while?" Asked Kairi.

"We would if we could, but we have lots of things to take care of. Like undoing the damage that Organization XIII has dealt upon our universe," said Cliff.

"I can barely imagine what sort of damage was caused to Aquaria... and Airyglyph," said Nel.

"All the more reason to get going," said Adray. Fayt held out his hand to me.

"Well this is goodbye, Alex." I nodded and shook his hand.

"You're right. You and the others have your duties, and I have mine now," I said. I smiled slightly. "Goodbye."

"Take care of yourself, Alex," said Sophia.

"Make sure that people like those Organization XIII punks don't come back," said Cliff.

"Good luck with whatever you choose to do from now on," said Maria.

"It was good to see you again, Alex," said Nel.

"Hmph, have fun, maggot," snorted Albel.

"May the grace of Apris go with you," said Adray.

"Thanks for your help, once again," said Dr. Leingod.

"If you are ever in the area, don't hesitate to drop in and say hello," said Mrs. Leingod. Fayt opened the large door and then he and his group walked through it, waving goodbye. Almost hesitantly, I walked over to where Sora, Riku, and King Mickey were standing.

"Alex, it's time," said King Mickey. I summoned the Dark Horizon and nodded.

"I know... I'm ready," I said. We put our Keyblades together and energy started forming near the tips. We aimed our Keyblades at the door. In a bright flash, the keyblade's fired the laser at the open door. The laser collided with an invisible barrier and in an instant, the door closed. With a final burst of light, the door faded away. "Goodbye..." I mumbled sadly. Luther walked over and put an arm on my left shoulder.

"Don't worry, you may see them again," said Luther. In an instant, I shot my head over at Luther. I wasn't expecting to hear something like that.

"What? Really? How?" I questioned with a tone of both curiosity and excitement.

"Remember this Alex: There will always be more than one door to the places you want to go." I frowned in disappointment. And I was expecting something not so cryptic...

"How is that supposed to help?" Luther smirked and began to walk towards the shoreline. "Luther?" He looked back over at me and smiled.

"I guess it's time for me to leave."

"Leave? Where are you going?" I asked as I walked towards him.

"To other places, places that need my help." Luther turned his back. "Besides, with you and the others here, I don't need to worry about protecting this Universe. But... if the time should come that this Universe needs a helping hand... I will be here once again."

"Always helping people," said the Twilight Horizon as it appeared in Luther's hand. Luther nodded.

"Yes, that is the only true way to make up for what happened last year. To redeem myself for my mistakes." Luther looked back at me one more time and quickly waved goodbye. With that, he vanished, leaving no trace of ever being there. I sighed and looked out a the sea. Hopefully, someday, we would meet again. I don't know why, but it seems like Luther has changed a little bit since the days back at Sphere Company. Then again... so have I. These past few weeks, no, this past month and a half have changed me. When I started this journey I was lost and confused. I had no idea where to go next or what I would do in the end, but now I know. I must protect this Universe and the many other ones out there from evil like Organization XIII. Ansem gave me a mission and I intend to complete it.

Suddenly I picked up the scent and the presence of a certain young, cryptic, little girl. One that has been appearing before me for quite some time. I looked over to my right to see Nephilim standing right next to me.

"_You have done well, Alex," _said Nephilim.

"I just did what I could, and that is all," I said.

"_That's all anyone can do." _Nephilim looked out at the sea and the setting sun that was now resting on the Horizon._ "But those ripples that they create are what affect the whole. The future constantly changes by the effects of those ripples. Which means that there is no set future, there is no predictable outcome." _

"I have no idea what you are saying, but you're right," I said. Nephilim looked over at me again.

"_You will understand one day. For your battle is only just beginning. The ripples you have created will effect the outcome." _

"The outcome? The outcome of what?" I asked.

"Hey, Alex!" Shouted Riku. I looked over at him. He and everyone else were now standing over at the dock.

"You called?" I asked.

"We're heading on over to my house! If you don't hurry we'll be leaving you behind!" Shouted Sora.

"Okay! Just a moment!" I called back. "Do you want to come Nephi..." I was cut short as I noticed that Nephilim was no longer there. I sighed and shook my head amused. _"That little girl has a talent at appearing when you least expect it and disappearing when you barely do so much as blink," _I said in my thoughts. I quickly ran over to Sora and the others. We took the small boats over to the island where Sora's house was, where Riku's house and Kairi's was too. At Sora's house we all met his parents, it was a big happy reunion. That night, we all sat together and ate dinner. On the next morning we all gathered around the Gummi Ship.

"Well, it's time for us to say Goodbye too," said King Mickey.

"Farewell, Your Majesty," said Sora.

"See you again someday, right?" Asked Riku as he gave King Mickey one last hug.

"You betcha'! This isn't a forever goodbye, y'know," said King Mickey.

"Take care guys," said Sora as he hugged Donald and Goofy.

"Bye Sora," said Goofy sadly.

"Awww... see you later at some point Sora," said Donald. Sora looked over at me.

"What are you going to do?" He asked me. I shrugged, cause honestly I had no idea how I was going to start keeping this Universe safe... let alone where I would live from now on. I could go back to my life back at the Sphere Company, but I feel as if those days are over. I can't quietly sit back down in front of a computer screen once again. Now I see that living in my own world and ignoring the things going on in the other worlds is no longer an option. Seeing Organization XIII made that clear to me. Plus Ansem requested that I protect this Universe.

"I have no idea," I said.

"Hey Alex," said King Mickey. I looked over at him.

"What is it, Your Majesty?" I asked.

"I was wondering, would you like to come with Donald, Goofy, and I? I promised Ansem that I would look after you." I thought about it for a moment.

"Hmm... sure why not?" King Mickey nodded and smiled.

"I think of some sort of title or job to give you. You can live in the castle too, we have plenty of rooms. Quite a few are collecting dust and cobwebs I might add."

"You got that right, Your Majesty. The castle is HUGE!" Said Donald.

"Yeah, we'll have to show you around so you won't get lost your first time around," said Goofy.

"Thanks," I said with a smile. I turned my attention over to Sora.

"Well, this is where we say goodbye," I said. He nodded.

"See ya Alex, thanks for everything," he said.

"Goodbye Alex," said Kairi.

"Good luck with your new job," said Riku as he gave me the thumbs up. I nodded and looked over at Sora and Kairi.

"Enjoy yourselves, love birds," I said with a grin. Sora and Kairi looked confused for a moment. Then they looked at each other, blushed, and quickly looked away.

"A-alex!" Exclaimed Sora in an embarrassed tone.

"But it is so true," said Riku. Kairi looked over at Riku, mouth agape and blushing quite madly.

"You too Riku?" She asked. Riku started laughing while Sora started pouting and looking over at Riku as if he was planning some sort of bizarre attempt at revenge. Kairi slid into a corner and was still blushing.

"Well, I guess we had better get going," said King Mickey.

"Yeah, you're right," I said. We said our goodbyes one last time and we got onboard the gummi ship. We left Destiny Islands and Donald began to set the coordinates that would take us back to Disney Castle.

"Alright, ladies and Gentlemen... we are finally going home!" Exclaimed Donald as he finished inserting the coordinates. With a burst of speed the ship began to fly towards Disney Castle... my new home.

Meanwhile... in Wilhelm's office...

Wilhelm sat at his desk on the Dämmerung, starring into the Compass of Order. His cloaked servants stood there as well, waiting for a response from their Master.

"Well that was certainly entertaining," said the Red Cloaked man.

"Yes, but..." Started Wilhelm. He looked over at the Cloaked men. "It's almost hard not to feel pity for Alex. He thinks that everything is settled and that a new life of happiness and glory are before him. But he couldn't be more wrong. He is merely preparing for his part in the final act. The awakening will not take place for sometime, and Zarathustra is not yet ready."

"And when the time comes, the veil of peace that has enveloped him will shatter," said the Red Cloaked man. The Blue Cloaked man snorted.

"And it could be fun breaking him in if necessary," said Voyager.

"You guys are a bunch of sadistic bastards. That boy will be pissed with a capital "P" if he finds out about this," said the Blue Cloaked man.

"But if he does find out, I think that would make it all the more entertaining," said the White Cloaked man.

"Only you would find enjoyment in that. If he unlocks his true powers before everything is set in place, everything we have accomplished up till now will have been meaningless," said the Blue Cloaked man.

"That won't happen," said Wilhelm simply. "He will act as the Compass of Order has predicted he will. There will be no problems. But if there are... I'm not against using force. So until then... rest well Alex."

* * *

Next chapter is the epilogue that will bring this story to a close... but this is not the end of Alex's story. What does this mean? You'll see. Anyway, please review. 


	26. Epilogue

Thank you all who reviewed! Here it is; the final chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean or Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

Chapter 26: Epilogue

2 weeks later after the defeat of Organization XIII...

Fayt, Sophia, and Fayt's parents were all onboard a shuttle heading for home. Outside the window was the pinkish color of gravitic space. Fayt's parents were asleep, Sophia and Fayt were having a conversation.

"I feel kind of bad for Nel and the others, they have a lot of work on their hands thanks to the damage caused by Organization XIII," said Sophia.

"Yeah, the timing couldn't have been worse. 1 year after the Executioners on top of the war with Airyglyph and the Vendeeni attack," added Fayt.

"Do you think they will be alright?" Fayt nodded without having to put much thought into it.

"I think so. Within a year they had made quite a bit of progress, but now it will take many years before Aquaria is completely rebuilt. And I heard that Albel has quite a bit to do himself. But it seems that the damage in Aquaria was far off worse than in Airyglyph."

"I wish them the best of luck with rebuilding their kingdoms."

"They should be fine. Especially Aquaria since a certain someone is with them." Sophia nodded and looked out the window. About a minute or so later she looked back at Fayt.

"This was quite the interesting adventure, don't you think?" She asked.

"You got that right. Learning that Alex was still alive, finding out about that other universe, and meeting inhabitants of that universe... it isn't your average adventure," answered Fayt.

"Speaking of Alex, I wonder how he's doing."

"He's probably doing pretty well, even though he is starting a whole new life."

* * *

_Meanwhile in Aquios...

* * *

_

Inside the throne room of the castle, Nel, Clair, and Luther bowed before the Queen.

"And that is what happened, Your Majesty," said Nel. The Queen opened her eyes.

"I see..." She said.

"Had the events of last year not happened I would find it hard to believe," commented Lasselle.

"So would I, but what's happened has happened. And now we must focus on rebuilding our kingdom... and it's strength," said the Queen.

"I saw the destruction that the Nobodies and Heartless had caused. It's worse than I had expected," said Nel.

"Had Luther not been there to take out the incoming army of those Nobody things, there wouldn't be an Arias. And I don't think I would be here right now," added Clair. The Queen looked at Luther.

"I must thank you for the work you have done for us. And we cannot thank you enough for bringing back the Sacred Orb." said the Queen.

"Your welcome, Your Majesty," said Luther. "I just did what was right. And in fact, as you may well be already aware of, I have sent in then papers for joining the Aquaria military."

"Yes, we received your application. Naturally, it was accepted. You will be under Lady Clair's command," said Lasselle.

"Thank you."

"You are all dismissed. Lady Nel, tomorrow you will have a mission to carry out. We will give you the details at that time," said the Queen.

"Yes, Your Majesty," said Nel. The three of them stood up and left the Throne Room. As they were walking, Adray came around the corner and walked towards them.

"Father? I thought you were out on a mission right now," said Clair.

"That's not until a few days from now," said Adray. He looked over at Luther. "So, did you make it in?"

"Yeah, they said that they didn't have to think about it," said Luther. Adray started laughing.

"What I tell ya? I told you that they wouldn't hesitate to recruit you," said Adray.

"That's because we don't have that many left," said Nel. Adray nodded.

"Yes, and numbers are very important." He looked over at his daughter and grinned. "And I bet that my little Clair is happy to have Luther under her command."

"F-father! What is that supposed to mean?" Asked Clair who seemed a little bit flustered at her Father's comment.

"And it's about time, especially at your age."

"Father! I thought I told you I would take care of THAT business!" Exclaimed Clair.

* * *

_Meanwhile in Airyglyph Territory...

* * *

_

Albel was walking down a mountain passageway. He was coming back from his most recent mission, one that he had enjoyed

"_And I was starting to worry that I wasn't going to get any interesting job any time soon. I'm glad this came about," _said Albel as he looked around. He had been sent to take care of a dangerous monster, it did put up some fight. But that wasn't enough to take Albel down, not a chance in hell. At least it was better than that last time when he had to do chores like gathering firewood.

* * *

_Out on the fields outside of Aquios...

* * *

_

Cliff and Maria were waiting at the specified place to be picked up by Lancar. The fields hadn't changed all that much through the chaos caused by Organization XIII. But they were much quieter.

"So you're coming after all, huh?" Asked Cliff as he looked over at Maria.

"Yes, I have decided to lie low for a little while. It's the only choice I have at this point," she said.

"Can't blame ya, those feds are persistent as hell."

"This 'New Pangalactic Federation' is just about the same as the old one it seems."

"Not too surprising, the majority of the senate members are from the old federation. And Hermes is still the admiral." Suddenly Cliff's communicator went off.

"Hey, sorry to keep you waiting," said Lancar.

"It's okay, be prepared to receive 2 via transportation," said Cliff.

"2? Who are you coming back with?"

"Believe it or not... the former leader of Quark."

"Well, I was wondering when we would get a visit from her. Alright then, give me a moment." Within a few seconds, Cliff and Maria were transported onto Lancar's ship.

* * *

_Meanwhile at Disney Castle...

* * *

_

I was walking down one of the many hallways of Disney Castle. It had taken me some time but I had finally gotten used to the size of this place. When we had gotten here, King Mickey gave me a room in the east wing on the 3rd floor. Speaking of my room, that is where I am currently headed. I finally arrived at my room a little less than a minute later. Each room had a symbol on the front door. My door had two Keyblades in the shape of an 'X' marked on it. Apparently your job in the castle determined the symbol you have. I asked the King about this but he told me I would find out soon enough... that was two weeks ago. Maybe I will find something out at today's ceremony.

I opened the door and walked in. My room was small, but comfortable. The room was just like the other rooms in the castle. Covered in stone that could arguably be considered white marble. At the top right corner was my bed with a small night stand standing next to it. At the top left corner was a desk and a chair. The desk had several books lined up on the top shelve that were given to me by King Mickey. In one drawer was various things needed for writing like paper, and feather's used as pens. I was a bit surprised when I saw feather's being used as pens, whenever you needed more ink you would have to dip it into the ink and then continue writing. It took awhile but I finally got used to it... such an obsolete method of writing things by hand.

The last drawer was empty, so I modified it by adding in a personal computer. All I have to do in order to access it is turn it on by pressing the switch. The screen I chose to use was holo-screen, to put a sense of my old home here. In the back of the room was a large chest that I used to put in clothes. During the past two weeks I have gotten various types of outfits... mainly cause I was tired of wearing that Organization XIII outfit 24/7. Currently I was wearing a pair of olive green pants and a dark blue T-shirt. On the back wall were two medium sized windows with curtains. In the bottom left corner of the room was a small closet with barely any room. I stored whatever I could in there. After looking around my room I yawned and stretched. I realized that I had some time before this ceremony, so I could get some rest. With another yawn I got in bed and closed my eyes. What seemed like a second later I heard a knocking on my door. I opened my eyes, got of bed, and opened the door. Outside of my room was Goofy dressed in a very obscure armor suit... With the helmet being a small hat you wear on the top of your head I don't think it would do well as a means of protecting your body. The only part of real armor on Goofy was a metal gauntlet that looked a lot like his regular hand.

"Good afternoon, Alex. It's time for the ceremony," said Goofy.

"Wow, it's time already?" I asked. _"Time really flies when you take a two hour nap..." _

"Now that I think about it, it seems like yesterday that we got here. And next thing ya' know it, it's the Appointment Ceremony."

"Yeah..." I said as I looked down at the ground, still amazed at how quickly time flies by... in both my example and Goofy's. I looked back up towards Goofy. "Well, at any rate I am going to get changed into this 'suit of armor' that I received a few days ago."

"Alright then, a-hyuck. Then I'll go downstairs and wait for you with His Majesty and Donald."

"Okay, see you there." Goofy walked off and I closed the door. I walked over to the closet door and opened it. No matter how many times I saw this armor I still found it rather awe-striking. It was crafted in a series of silver looking metal and various colors that were wrapped around to make the wearer look like a monster. The only thing that looked regular were the rough leather gloves. The helmet would cover the wearer's head almost entirely minus one small slit. I think it would be rather hard to see much out of that helmet but... ah I'll worry about that later. I could probably rely on my extra senses to solve this problem anyway. Next to the suit of armor was a black cape with the same symbol as the one on my door only it was gold. I put on my armor and walked down to the hallway outside of the throne room. Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey were waiting for me there. Donald and Goofy starred in awe while King Mickey folded his arms and smiled.

"Wow... you look really different in that armor, Alex," said Donald.

"Yeah... kinda scary..." Commented Goofy.

"I think that the maker of the armor wanted it to look as fearsome as possible. Probably in order to intimidate a foe," said King Mickey.

"It's maker?" I asked. "Who made this armor? You never told me, Your Majesty."

"That's cause I have no idea. I found it when explorin' one of the many worlds out there. It was heavily rusted and in quite bad shape. So I brought it back and had it repaired."

"I see," I said.

"So are you ready?" I nodded.

"Yeah."

"Then let's begin. I will give the opening speech, and then you will come in." King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy walked in. I could hear King Mickey say something but the door obscured it. Then the small door opened up. I walked through the door and I began to walk towards the throne. On both of my sides were the various Disney Castle subjects who had come to attend this ceremony. Some were holding banners, others were holding up trumpets and playing a song. At the front was King Mickey, Queen Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Daisy. I arrived at the front and I bowed before the King.

"Do you swear loyalty?" Asked King Mickey.

"Yes," I answered.

"Do you wield the ways of honor?"

"Yes." King Mickey summoned his Keyblade and tapped me on both shoulders.

"Then I dub thee... Alex, Commander of the Keyblade Templars." I looked up.

"The Keyblade Templars?" I asked.

"It's a new group formed just today," said Donald.

"The Keyblade Templars is a group of elite warriors who wield keyblades. The symbol on your cape is the insignia for the Keyblade Templars," said King Mickey. Well that explains why it is on my door. He must have planned to give me this job for a little while now.

"While you are out traveling, if you find anybody who wields a Keyblade you can ask them if they'd like to join and then bring them here," said Queen Minnie.

"Alright then, I'd better get going," I said.

"Go? But what about the party?" Asked Daisy.

"There's a party?" I asked.

"Yeah. Party first, work later," said Donald. We all went to the grand dinning room and began to eat. There was a grand selection of food to choose from. It looked as if a lot of preparation had gone into this meal. And it was quite the enjoyable meal. The next morning King Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Queen Minnie, Daisy, and I all went down to Gummi Hangar. Of course I had chosen not to wear the suit of armor, that suit was way too heavy. I mean I could get used to it, but it would weigh me down too much. I saw a black, sleek, jet like Gummi that looked a lot more powerful than the one I traveled on with Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

"So who owns this ship?" I asked.

"It's yours!" Said Chip as he and Dale rushed over towards us.

"Mine?"

"We figured that you would need a ship of your own to travel to the many worlds. And I think that it will come in handy," said King Mickey.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you everyone," I said.

"Aw, don't mention it."

"Well I had better go."

"See ya again sometime soon," said Goofy.

"Don't be reckless out there," said Donald.

"Good luck with your travels out there," said Queen Minnie.

"Be careful out there, there may be places crawling with Heartless," said Daisy.

"When you are out there, you will be moving on your own accord and discretion," said King Mickey. I nodded.

"Got it. See you all again someday!" I said. I got onboard the ship and activated it. The elevator my ship was on shifted me to the launching dock. I accelerated and I was launched out of the castle and into the stars, towards a grand adventure.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Alex's story is not yet over. His next story will be called Eternal Cycle. It will be a Star Ocean, Kingdom Hearts, and Xenosaga cross over. I have no idea when the first chapter will be out, but if I were to make a guess I'd say next month. Until then, see ya! 


End file.
